BENEFITS – BREAST FEEDING
Why Breastfeeding is important?
The benefits of human milk and the risks of not receiving it have been extensively researched and are widely accepted. According to World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations and implementation advice for exclusive breastfeed for first 6 months and to continue breast feed minimum for two years along with complimentary feeds. Also all infants-including those who are small, ill,or preterm-should be fed human milk. Infants who are premature or sickly may not be able to nurse at the breast when they are born, but they can benefit from human milk right away and eventually breastfeed. Human milk is one of the standard infant medications with the strongest empirical evidence for its efficacy, availability, safety, and affordability. Breastfeeding an unhealthy baby can be difficult due to both maternal and infant physiology, whether the baby is being cared for in a neonatal department or a standard postnatal ward. The first few hours and days of a new-born’s life are a critical window for establishing lactation and for providing mothers with the support they need to breastfeed successfully.
Mother
- Reduces blood loss after delivery
- It aids in the reduction of pregnancy weight along with a healthy diet and exercise.
- Breastfeeding can lower the risk of breast & ovarian cancer.
- Breast milk if free
Baby
- Breast milk is the natural and best source of nutrition for optimal growth & development of the new-born.
- The mother’s breast milk will change as the baby grows to meet her baby’s nutritional needs.
- Breastfeeding can help protect babies from certain illnesses and diseases, both short and long term.
- Breastfed babies are less likely to develop asthma, obesity or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
- Ear infections and stomach upset are also less common in breastfed babies.
Breast milk transmits antibodies from the mother to the baby. - These antibodies help babies develop a strong immune system and keep them healthy.
- Breastfeeding can also provide comfort to babies whose normal routine has been disrupted while travelling.
Human milk has the potential to lessen preterm morbidities and to enhance health in preterm infants, especially for those born very prematurely. This is because it includes bioactive compounds with antibacterial, immune-modulating, and intestinal maturation-inducing capabilities.Feeding intolerance, late-onset sepsis, and retinopathy of prematurity are just a few of the issues linked to prematurity that have been proven to be dramatically reduced by human milk. Other advantages include better neurodevelopmental outcomes, decreased blood pressure and obesity rates, and diminished insulin resistance in adolescence. Maternal colostrum and mature human milk both contain bioactive substances that support anti-infectious and anti-inflammatory qualities, which helps control the new-born inflammatory response.Human breast milk is arguably the most exact form of tailored treatment that a baby is likely to receive, in addition to providing them with a well suited nutritional supply. You shouldn’t pass up this chance for health imprinting.
Risks of Not Breastfeeding
- High risk for infections like diarrhoea, vomiting, chest infections, ear infections
- High risk for allergies and eczema
- Constipation
- Fussy about new foods
- Increased risk of obesity
- Difficulty to control the appetite
Risks of using artificial teats/pacifiers/bottle-feed
- Nipple confusion
- Risk for oral thrush
- Decrease breast milk production as baby sucks less on the breast
- Infants lose interest in breastfeeding