Advantages of Breastfeeding - Research Paper Example

? Advantages of Breastfeeding Thesis ment: Breastfeeding is a basic step in the process of raising a healthy baby. Breastfeeding is unanimously approved by the world’s health and scientific associations as the most excellent method of feeding infants. Years of study have explained the extensive range of advantages not just for kids but for mothers and society as well. The World Health Organization, health care unions, and government health organizations confirm the logical confirmation of the obvious advantage of human milk as well as the risks associated with artificial milk products. The WHO along with the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that mothers exclusively breastfeed their newborns al least for the initial six months, and carry on for at least two and a half years. Human milk gives best advantages for babies, together with premature, as well as sick infants. Human milk is only one of its kinds. Advanced nutrients as well as useful substances are present in human milk that cannot be replaced. “Breastfeeding offers best physical condition, nutritional, immunologic and developmental benefits to newborns as well as protection from postpartum complications and future disease for mothers” (Sears, p. 190). Breast milk is the most comprehensive type of nourishment for newborns. Experts have indicated, “It has just the exact amount of fat, sugar, water, and protein that is needed for a baby's growth and development” (American Academy of Pediatrics, p. 301). Most newborns find it convenient to digest breast milk as compared to formula-feed. As a result, breastfed babies grow precisely the way they are supposed to. They are likely to gain less extra weight and to be leaner. This may result in staying away from being overweight during the teenage years or even after that. Breast milk has antibodies in it to help defend newborns from germs and viruses. Latest researches on this topic revel that children who are not exclusively breastfed for at least six months are more expected to develop a wide range of contagious diseases together with ear infections, diarrhea, and respiratory illnesses (American Academy of Pediatrics, p. 301) and have additional hospitalizations. In addition, babies who are not breastfed have a 19 percent higher post neonatal newborn death rate in the United States. A number of studies imply that babies who are not breastfed have increasing rates of ‘sudden infant death syndrome’ (SIDS) (Newman, p. 320-23) during the initial year of life, and higher rates of “type 1 and type 2 diabetes, lymphoma, leukemia, Hodgkin's disease, overweight and obesity, high cholesterol and asthma” (Newman, p. 323). For children, breastfeeding sustains best growth and defends against severe and chronic sickness. For mothers, breastfeeding assists with improvement from pregnancy as well as from childbirth and gives lifetime health benefits. For society, breastfeeding offers a variety of financial as well as environmental rewards. Breast milk is a remarkable substance that cannot be replaced by some artificial means. Matchless in its composition and function, breast milk has a perfect balance of nutrition that the newborn can digest without difficulty. It changes eventually, and even d the course of a day, to meet the varying requirements of the growing baby. It has substances vital for best development of the infant’s intellect, with effects on both cognitive as well as visual function. It provides growth factors that ‘join to mature the infant gut’. It gives the newborn with immune factors made to fight allergens as well as diseases particular to the mother’s and newborn’s atmosphere (Hausman, p. 192). Advantages for Children In particular, experts have identified that breastfeeding provides benefits for children no other alternative of feeding can duplicate. The advantages of breastfeeding start from the initial moments following childbirth and last for a number of years once breastfeeding stops. In comparison to ‘formula-fed’ kids, those who are breastfed are in good health and have lesser symptoms as well as lesser time period sicknesses when they do get unwell (La Leche League International, p. 411). Breastfed children score better on cognitive as well as on IQ examinations at school age, and as well on examinations of visual acuity. They have a lesser rate of ‘sudden infant death syndrome’ (SIDS) and are less likely to experience contagious infections and their symptoms. They have a lesser threat of the two most common inflammatory bowel illnesses - ‘Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis’. They do not often experience a few types of cancer such as ‘Hodgkin’s disease’ and ‘childhood leukemia’. They are at a lesser threat of diabetes at the start of teenage years if they have a family history of the disease and are breastfed completely for at least one year. They are considerably secured from 'asthma and eczema, if susceptible for allergic disorders and exclusively breastfed for at least a year. They may have a lesser threat of obesity during early days as well as during teenage years. They have smaller amount cavities and are less likely to have a need of braces (West, p. 239). Breastfeeding offers advantages not only for healthy infants but as well for premature and for infants with lower weights (West, pp. 200-239). In comparison with premature babies who get human milk, those who get formula-feed, have potential IQs that are 8 to 15 points lesser. For premature babies, human milk considerably shortens duration of hospital stay, decreases hospital expenditure, speeds up brainstem maturation, and decreases the possibility of critical ailment of the gastrointestinal system as well as other contagious illnesses. Human endurance relies more on brainpower and breast milk is rich in the nutrients that best help brain development as well as nervous system progress. Experts (West, pp. 200-239) have found that breastfed children do better on various types of intelligence examinations, as they grown-up. They as well develop improved eye function. This is generally because of some particular forms of fat (fatty acid chains) in human milk. In particular, “Only human milk is alive with many different kinds of disease-fighting factors that help prevent mild to severe infections. Babies, who are fully breastfed, have significantly fewer gastrointestinal, respiratory, ear, and urinary infections. Antibodies in human milk directly protect against infection. Other anti-infective factors create an environment that is friendly to good bacteria, referred to as normal flora and unfriendly to bad bacteria, viruses, or parasites. Human milk also appears to have properties that help a baby's own immune system work best. If baby does become ill when breastfeeding and receiving breast milk, the infection is likely to be less severe” (Pryor, p. 119). Advantages for Mothers Breastfeeding provides a variety of advantages for mothers as well as their kids. Women who have breastfed are less prone to have ‘ovarian’ as well as ‘premenopausal breast cancers’. It is an observation that “the more months a woman has spent breastfeeding, the greater the advantageous result” (Huggins, p. 82). Breastfeeding decreases osteoporosis. Breastfeeding mothers have the benefit of a more rapid improvement following childbirth, with lessened threat of postpartum bleeding. Mothers who breastfeed are more likely to go back to their pre-pregnancy weight as compared to those mothers who formula-feed. Breastfeeding lessens the possibility for continuing obesity. In particular, “exclusive breastfeeding may decrease the threat of anemia by delaying the return of the menstrual cycle for 20 to 30 weeks” (Smith, p. 99). Exclusive breastfeeding for the initial six months postpartum, during the absence of menses, is 97 percent helpful in stopping pregnancy. Breastfeeding mothers are said to be more self-assured as well as less apprehensive in comparison with bottle-feeding mothers. Breastfeeding adds in to emotions of affection between a mother and her kid. Advantages for Society Breastfeeding gives society not just better physical condition of kids as well as mothers but also financial and environmental advantages. Breastfeeding decreases the requirement for expensive health services that have to be paid by insurers, government associations, or family units. It lessens the amount of unwell days that families should use to look after their ill children. The expected expenditure of artificial feeding - equal to 1,200 US dollars every year for powdered formula - is four times that of breastfeeding - more or less 300 US dollars every year for better foodstuff for a lactating woman. “Concentrated and ready-to-feed formulas are even more expensive than powdered formula. The cost of artificial feeding has increased steadily over the last ten years. Electricity or fuel is consumed in the preparation of infant formula. Breastfeeding requires no packaging, and its production does not harm the environment” (Block, p. 94). Economic Facts Economic facts associated with breastfeeding in the United States take account of the following: 2 billion US dollars each year are used by family units on breast milk alternates, for instance, infant formula. 581 million US dollars each year in national funds is used by ‘the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children’ (WIC) to buy formula for kids who are not breastfeeding Every 10 percent raise within the breastfeeding pace among WIC receivers would save WIC 761,000 US dollars each year Insurers, together with Medicaid, used more than 1.6 billion US dollars to cover unwell kid’s appointment with doctors as well as medicines to take care of the three most widespread diseases - respiratory diseases, otitis media (or ear infections), and diarrhea - during the initial years of life for formula-fed babies versus breastfed babies. 4.1 to 8 billion additional dollars are spent each year on conditions and illnesses that are avoidable by breastfeeding Conclusion Even though any amount of breastfeeding is advantageous, exclusive breastfeeding that lasts further than the initial few months of life is most excellent. Exclusive breastfeeding for the initial 8 months of life, with slow beginning of solid foods after six months, is acknowledged as the ideal way of baby feeding. In order to conclude understanding of the advantages of breastfeeding, the paper will include result of studies. In particular, “the studies show that women spent a large proportion of time breastfeeding their infants. Out of a 14-hour day, an average of 3.7 hours was spent breastfeeding infants of all ages, and 5.4hours were spent breastfeeding infants under the age of 4 months. In contrast, mothers spent negligible amounts of time feeding other foods, which is explained by the fact that this was usually done by someone other than the mother. The amount of time spent breastfeeding (categorized as high, medium, and low) was inversely and significantly related to the proportion of time spent in market activities. However, the amount of time spent in market activities (categorized as high, medium, and low) was not associated with the proportion of time spent breastfeeding. This is because the proportion of time spent in market activities and breastfeeding varied markedly by specific activity. Also, the amount of time spent on household chores was inversely and significantly related to the proportion of time spent in market activities, which suggests that household work presents more of a constraint on time available for market activities than does breastfeeding” (Huggins, p. 82). Breastfeeding offers perfect nutrition regardless of any societal or financial difficulties that may be present for the children. Larger numbers of women are opting to start breastfeeding, although cultural as well as social inconsistencies persist. Breastfeeding rates can be improved by ethnically suitable and expert lactation support, ‘worksite support’ for breastfeeding mothers, place for human milk feeding in childcare situations, and proper law (Block, p. 173). Works Cited American Academy of Pediatrics. New Mother's Guide to Breastfeeding. Bantam, 2005. Block, M. The New Breastfeeding Diet Plan: Breakthrough Ways to Reduce Toxins and Give Your Baby the Best Start in Life. Mc-Graw Hill, 2006. Hausman, B. L. Mother's Milk: Breastfeeding Controversies in American Culture. Routledge, 2003. Huggins, K. The Nursing Mother's Companion. Harvard, 2005. La Leche League International. The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding. Plume, 2004. Newman, J. The Ultimate Breastfeeding Book of Answers: The Most Comprehensive Problem-Solving Guide to Breastfeeding from the Foremost Expert in North America. Three Rivers Press, 2006. Pryor, G. Nursing Mother, Working Mother: The Essential Guide for Breastfeeding and Staying Close to Your Baby After You Return to Work. Harvard, 1997. Sears, W. The Breastfeeding Book: Everything You Need to Know About Nursing Your Child from Birth Through Weaning. Little, Brown and Company, 2002. Smith, J. Impact of Birthing Practices on Breastfeeding. Jones & Bartlett Publishers, 2005 West, D. Defining your Own Success. La Leche League International, 2001. Read More