Substantial Benefits of Breastfeeding - Research Paper Example

?Benefits of Breastfeeding Introduction Breastfeeding is increasingly known to provide substantial benefits compared to commercialized and formulatedmilk for growing infants. In fact, these products usually have labels emphasizing breast milk is still best for growing babies. The indication of what is best in this case may be a bit broad, but this substantially discusses potential advantages that at some point both beneficial to mother and child. On its official website, the World Health Organization (WHO) elaborates the major advantages of breastfeeding, which include but not limited to protection against common childhood diseases, optimal growth, development and health. Many ideas surfacing from various sources including medical health guide books, practitioners and experts and even relevant studies emphasized the benefits of breastfeeding. Breastfeeding receives substantial attention after there were many researches trying to create positive feedback for it. These studies investigated and even critically explored the extent to which the benefits of breastfeeding could apply to every breastfeeding mother and the child, including but not limited to other aspects such as social, emotional, physical and intellectual. In other words, the relevant studies linked with finding the benefits of breastfeeding focus on the latter’s relevant promotion considering that many studies would eventually point to its advantages. In fact, many clinical experts and practitioners could not contest the fact breastfeeding is so far the best way to exercise at the early stage of human development. This paper tries to discuss two of these promising findings about breastfeeding. In general, this includes the remarkable impact of breastfeeding to both child and mother. In detail, these talk about social and probable psychological connection with breastfeeding to humans. So the proponent tries to discuss two of the most recent studies concerning breastfeeding that associate with cognitive development of a child and mother’s attentional sensitivity towards infant distress. In these studies, breastfeeding has become positively linked with positive results on the mental, emotional and psychological well-being of both child and mother. Breastfeeding and mother’s attentional sensitivity towards infant distress Study shows breastfeeding could have positive association with mother’s attentional sensitivity towards infant distress published in journal “Infant Behavior and Development” (Pearson, Lightman and Evans 200). Although sociologists, psychologists and scientists alike have significant theory concerning those women who are breastfeeding may already have higher attentional sensitivity towards infant distress from the point they breastfeed their child, a significant study was conducted to prove this claim. The title of this study is “The impact of breastfeeding on mother’s attentional sensitivity towards infant distress.” The reason why researchers conducted this study has significant connection to emphasizing mother’s attentional sensitivity to infant distress has been shown to provide substantial contribution to baby’s development (Pearson, Lightman and Evans 200). In other words, this study seeks to find indirect benefits of breastfeeding to infant’s development, but seeks to understand in detail the level of mothers’ attentional sensitivity towards infant distress when they breastfeed or not. The study acquired 51 women during pregnancy and later after giving birth for about 3 to 6 months, 27 of them were breastfeeding and 25 were using formula feeding, and then researchers measured the two group’s sensitivity to infant’s distress (Pearson, Lightman and Evans 200). The index of attentional bias was generated during late pregnancy and after giving birth right during the process of child’s feeding. The result shows those women who are breastfeeding have higher index of attentional bias compared to those who are formula feeding (Pearson, Lightman and Evans 200). On the other hand, those women who are breastfeeding have lower index of attentional bias during their late pregnancy (Pearson, Lightman and Evans 200). In other words, this research substantially shows there is a positive association with breastfeeding and the mother’s attentional sensitivity towards infant distress. This remarkably shows another important benefits breastfeeding could provide to infant’s development and mother’s ability to nurture her child. Breastfeeding impact on children’s cognitive ability From the previous research, it is stated, there is a significant impact on infant development if a mother would choose to breastfeed a child during the baby’s stage of mental development. To seek the truth behind this concern, a significant study researchers conducted published in the journal “Social Science and Medicine” reveals the effect of breastfeeding on children’s educational test scores at nine years of age based on an Irish cohort study (McCrory and Layte 1515). The study is of remarkable importance because it seeks to provide understanding of the long-term impact of breastfeeding on children’s future cognitive ability and development. Around 8226 nine-year-old children in Ireland participated in the study, acquiring them through a 2-stage sampling, and then researchers instigated parental recall and student assessment of reading and mathematics competency (McCrory and Layte 1515). Based on unadjusted analysis, those children who were breastfed acquired 8.67 percentage points higher on reading and around 7.42 percentage points higher on mathematics compared to their counterparts (McCrory and Layte 1515). In other words, exposure to breastfeeding may have a long-term significant impact on child’s cognitive ability and development later in life. Those children who were exposed to breastfeeding when they were infants have the tendency to have better academic performance compared to those who never experienced milk from their mother after their birth and onwards during their critical stage of development. Just like with other studies, this one would want to show remarkable long-term benefit of breastfeeding on children’s future development, especially on their academic performance, later in life. Conclusion The mentioned two studies in this paper try to prove something important about breastfeeding. These studies do not just try to inform the public about the direct benefits associated with breastfeeding, but including those indirect advantages that both mother and child could potentially acquire and enjoy both present and in the future. In addition, the studies do not only aim to provide recent implications of breastfeeding, but including future impacts that both mother and child could potentially enjoy. Therefore, there are many things that humans should learn concerning the promise of breastfeeding. With the increasing number of studies concerning breastfeeding, humans will be able to understand more about the benefits of breastfeeding a child. References McCrory, Cathal, and Richard Layte. “The effect of breastfeeding on children’s educational test scores at nine years of age: Results of an Irish cohort study.” Social Science & Medicine May 2011: 1515-1521. Sciencedirect. Web. 16 Sep. 2012. Pearson, Rebecca M., Susan Lightman, and Jonathan Evans. “The impact of breastfeeding on mother’s attentional sensitivity towards infant distress.” Infant Behavior and Development Feb. 2011: 200-205. Sciencedirect. Web. 16 Sep. 2012. World Health Organization. Breastfeeding – exclusive breastfeeding. 2012. Web 16 Sep. 2012. Appendix The impact of breastfeeding on mothers’ attentional sensitivity towards infant distress Original Research Article Infant Behavior and Development, Volume 34, Issue 1,February 2011, Pages 200-205 R.M. Pearson, S.L. Lightman, J. Evans Abstract Background Maternal response towards infant distress has an important impact on infant development. In animals it is established that lactation and pup suckling plays an important role in maintaining maternal responses. Previous research suggests that breastfeeding is associated with sensitive maternal responses in human mothers. However, this may be because women who are more sensitive to their infant choose to breastfeed. The current study investigated the attentional sensitivity towards infant distress in women who went on to breast or formula feed during pregnancy as well as after birth. We hypothesised that differences in breast and formula feeding mothers would only emerge after birth once feeding had commenced. Method Women were recruited during pregnancy through community midwives as part of a longitudinal study. 51 women were seen during late pregnancy and between 3 and 6 months after birth (27 were breast and 24 were formula feeding). Sensitivity to infant distress was measured as the extent of women's attentional bias towards infant distress stimuli. Results After birth, we found that our index of attentional bias towards infant distress was 37 ms (0.5 S.D.s) (CI; 6–69, p = 0.021) higher in breastfeeding compared to formula feeding mothers. However, mothers who went on to breastfeed did not show greater attentional bias towards infant distress already during late pregnancy. Conclusions Our results suggest that the act of breastfeeding may influence mothers’ attentional sensitivity towards infant distress. Previous research suggestsbreastfeeding is indicative of sensitive parenting. The current findings may suggest a mechanism by whichbreastfeeding and/or associated infant interaction could contribute to this sensitivity. Article Outline 1. Introduction 2. Method 2.1. Procedure 2.2. Measures 2.2.1. Attention task 2.2.1.1. Materials for the attention task 2.3. Analysis 3. Results 3.1. Sample 3.2. Attention task preliminary analysis 3.3. Main analysis: association betweenbreastfeeding and attentional bias towards infant distress 4. Discussion Acknowledgements References The effect of breastfeeding on children’s educational test scores at nine years of age: Results of an Irish cohort studyOriginal Research Article Social Science & Medicine, Volume 72, Issue 9, May 2011,Pages 1515-1521 Cathal McCrory, Richard Layte Abstract This retrospective cross-sectional paper examines the relationship between early breastfeedingexposure and children’s academic test scores at nine years of age independent of a wide range of possible confounders. The final sample comprised 8226 nine-year-old school children participating in the first wave of the Growing Up in Ireland study. The children were selected through the Irish national school system using a 2-stage sampling method and were representative of the nine-year population. Information relating to breastfeeding initiation and exposure duration was obtained retrospectively at nine years of age via parental recall and children’s academic performance was assessed using standardised reading and mathematics tests. Hierarchical linear regression analysis with robust standard errors to control for clustering at the school level was used to quantify the effect of breastfeeding on children’s test scores. Propensity score matching was used to compare treatment effects across groups defined by their propensity to breastfeed. In unadjusted analysis, children who were breastfed scored 8.67 percentage points higher on reading and 7.42 percentage points higher on mathematics compared to those who were never breastfed. While the breastfeeding advantage attenuated appreciably when adjusted for a range of child, maternal, socio-economic and socio-environmental characteristics, children who were breastfed continued to enjoy a significant test score advantage of 3.24 (p  Read More