BENEFITS OF Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding

Mother’s best gift to her baby. The biological and nutritional need of the baby is fulfilled by the mother’s milk. Mother’s milk has no substitute. Breastfeeding is clean, cheap, safe, natural and instinctive.

Benefits of breastfeeding

(A) To the baby

1. Breastmilk is a complete food and it provides all the nutrients a baby needs during first 6 months of life which is easily digestable and absorbed.
2. Breastfeeding stimulates all the five senses of the body, i.e touch, sight, smell, hearing and taste.
3. Breastfeed babies are less likely to acquire allergic disorders like asthma and eczema
4. Breastmilk has anti-infective entities, defending antibodies and friendly lacto-bacilli safeguarding newborn from diarrhea, cough, cold and other infections (especially ear infections). Breastfeeding has shown to reduce the risk of death due to diarrhea by 14 times, acute respiratory infection by 4 times and other infections by 3 times.
5. Breastfed babies are smarter and have higher Intelligence Quotient (IQ), better visual development.Higher amount of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) , Arachidonic acid(ARA) and Eicosapentaenoic acid are present in breastmilk which are needed for a baby’s growing brain and eyes and healthy blood vessels.
6. Breastfeed babies are less likely to have diabetes, heart disease, eczema, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis and other allergic disorder later on in life.
7. Breastmilk contains enough water sufficient even for very dry and hot climates.
8. The chance of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is less in breastfed babies.

(B) To the mother

1. During breastfeeding there is release of oxytocin to eject the milk. Oxytocin promotes involution of the uterus so that there is reduced risk of bleeding and anaemia after delivery.
2. Breastfeeding delays ovulation and onset of menstruation which provides natural means to birth spacing. Protection is not cent percent. Lactating mother should use appropriate contraceptives.
3. Breastfeeding is readymade, instantly available round the clock at desired temperature.
4. Breastfeeding empowers mother and promotes bonding between mother and her babies, a sense of fulfillment and motherliness.
5. Breastfeeding decreases the chance of breast and ovarian cancer and osteoporosis.

(C) To the environment

Economic saving to the family and society. No need to buy formula feed, bottle, washing bar etc. Decrease consumption of fuel.Saving of the medical costs which would otherwise would have been spent in treatment of infections resulting from bottle feeding/formula feed.

DONAR HUMAN MILK

Due to immense benefits of Human breastmilk, WHO and UNICEF made a joint statement in 1980 “where it is not possible for the biological mother to breastfeed, the first alternative if available, should be use of human milk from other sources. Human milk banks should be made available in appropriate situations. Modern human milk banking is in its infancy in India.

Promotion of milk formula/powder milk is the prime reason for least interest in human milk banking.