The Benefits of Exclusive Breastfeeding

About 50 years ago, the number of women chose to breastfeed began to decline. The lower proportion of women breastfeeding occurred in the early 1970s when fewer than 40 percent chose to breastfeed and by six weeks after child birth fewer than 20 percent were breastfeeding especially among middle class women and today about 5 percent of women start breastfeeding and 35 percent are still breastfeeding three months later.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breast milk as the infant’s primary source of nutrition for the first six months of life. Similarly, the World Health Organization (W.H.O) recommends “All infants should be fed exclusively on breast milk from birth for the first four to six months of life. Children should continue to be breastfed while receiving adequate complementary foods through the second year of life and beyond. Breastfeeding offers so many benefits for the entire family that even parents initially opposed to it often change their minds once they learn the advantages. Though the foremost benefit of breastfeeding is to the baby’s health and others includes:
1. During the early days following birth, breastfeeding provides the baby with the benefits of colostrums is the pie-milk substance secreted by the breast until milk is produced. It helps the baby clear excess mucus from her mouth and throat, special laxative properties that help clear the baby’s intestinal tract of meconium (baby’s first stool) and substances that prevents infections and alleges.
2. Breast milk provides all the nutrition and vitamins the baby needs for at least the first six months after birth.
3. Breast milk contains immunology factors and antibodies that help to prevent a host of diseases.
4. Breastfeeding decreases the chances of the baby developing allergies.
5. Breast milk is always clean and harmful bacteria cannot contaminate it as it can contaminate bottled milk.
6. The baby’s teeth and jaw develop best when the mother breastfeed.
7. Breastfeeding markedly reduced the chance of infantile obesity.
8. Breastfeeding fills many of the baby’s emotional, psychological as well as physiological needs.
9. Breastfeeding reduces mothers’ chance of hemorrhage during the first hours following birth.
10. The breastfeeding provides total mobility for the parents. The baby can be fed any time any place without preparation.
11. Breastfeeding saves time. There is no preparation formula, no cleaning and sterilizing bottles.
12. Night time feedings are marvelously more convenient.
13. Breastfeeding saves money on formula, bottles and bottle cleaning supplies, mother do not have to think about buying and sterilizing bottles for purchasing formula.
14. Breastfeeding can help mother regain her figure.
15. Breastfeeding may have health benefit for the mother. Reduces breast and ovarian cancer.
16. Breastfeeding gives a mother 98 percent protection against pregnancy for 6 months after giving birth.
17. Breastfeeding provides measurable advantages in cognitive development visual maturation, earlier motor skills and fewer emotional problems.

Summary of Differences between Milks

Content	Human Milk	Animal Milk	Formula
Bacterial contaminates	None	Likely	Likely when mixed
Antibodies	Present	Not present	Not present
Growth factors	Present	Not present	Not present
Protein	Correct amount and easy to digest	Too much and difficult to digest	Partly corrected
Fat	Enough essential fatty acids, lipase to digest	Lacks essential fatty acids no lipase to digest	Lacks essential fatty acids, no lipase and no digest.
Iron	Small amount and well absorbed	Small amount not well absorbed	Extra added not well absorbed
Vitamins	Enough	Not enough A & C	Vitamins added
Water	Enough	Extra added	May need extra

Source: Saturday Punch, 5^th August, 2000 page 20 by UNICEF

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