Child Development and Public Health

Breastfeeding

Health Benefits to Babies Who Breastfeed

• Children receive the most complete and optimal mix of nutrients & antibodies
• The varying composition of breastmilk keeps pace with the infant's individual growth and changing nutritional needs
• Have fewer incidences of vomiting and diarrhea in the US
• Protection against gastroenteritis, necrotizing entercolitis
• Reduced risk of chronic constipation, colic, and other stomach upsets
• Reduced risk of childhood diabetes
• Protection against ear infections, respiratory illnesses, pneumonia, bronchitis, kidney infections, septicemia (blood poisoning)
• Protection against allergies, asthma, eczema, and severity of allergic disease
• Reduced risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome)
• Protection against meningitis, botulism, childhood lymphoma, crohn's disease and ulcerative entercolits
• Decreased risk of tooth decay (cavities)
• Nursing promotes facial structure development, enhanced speech, straighter teeth and enhances vision
• Breastfed infants develop higher IQ's and have improved brain and nervous system development
• Reduced risk of heart disease later in life
• Increased bone density
• Breastfeeding plays an important role in the emotional and spiritual development of babies
• Breastfed babies enjoy a special warm bonding and emotional relationship with their mothers
• Antibody response to vaccines are higher
• Are hospitalized ten times less than formula fed infants in the first year of life
• The colostrum (first milk) coats the GI tract, preventing harmful bacteria and allergy-triggering protein molecules from crossing into baby's blood
• Decreased risk for vitamin E and Iron deficiency anemia
• Decreased risk for acute appedictis, rheumatoid arthritis, inguinal hernia, pyloric stenosis
• There are factors in human milk that destroy E coli, salmonella, shigella, streptococcus, pneumococcus..... and many others
• Less risk of childhood obesity

Health Benefits to Moms Who Breastfeed

• Reduced risk of breast, ovarian, cervical, and endometrial cancers
• Reduced risk of anemia
• Protection against osteoporosis and hip fracture later in life
• Reduced risk of mortality for women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been associated with total time of lactation
• Helps the mother's body return to its pre-pregnancy state faster
• Helps delay return of fertility and to space subsequent pregnancies
• Develops a special emotional relationship and bonding with her child
• Breastmilk is free - reducing or eliminating cost of formula (in the thousands of dollars/ per year)
• Breastfed babies are sick less
• Moms miss less time from work due to child related illness
• Helps the uterus contract after birth to control postpartum bleeding

www.motheringfromthe heart.com/Benefits.htm

Breastfeeding in other countries

Afghanistan

State:  Kabul

A physician stated that breastfeeding is a common practice among Afghan mothers.  As Muslims, they are required to have all parts of their bodies covered from Islam.  A mother can not nurse her baby in front of a male family member.  Doctors want to increase mother day care and feeding centers in public areas where mother is able to feed her baby in a public area.

Africa

A physician in Africa explains that it is the only culturally accepted mode of feeding babies, especially in Nigeria for the first two years of life.  It is encouraged to breastfeed your baby at any point in time be it in the open/public or in isolation.  Africans, especially the Yoruba's, believe it is an ingredient of promotion of closeness to mothers and a concept of bringing the mother and child closer to one another.  The sound and nutritionally unique concept was discarded secondary to acculturational influence of western education and introduction of feeding formula.

www.007b.com/public-breastfeeding-world.php

For the future, I would like to inform mothers about the benefits of nursing.  The health department has a program called healthy families.  I am interested in participating in the healthy families program or creating a similar program to inform parents about the benefits of breastfeeding.  Mothers need support when breastfeeding.  For some mothers, breastfeeding comes naturally.  For other mothers, breastfeeding is very difficult.  I would like to be a source to provide resources to mothers who are nursing.

"It takes a village to raise a child." -African Proverb-