The importance of breastfeeding

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The importance of breastfeeding

Contents
1 Breastfeeding
2 Benefits of breastfeeding the child
2.1 The healthy growth and development of the child
2.2 Control of infections and other diseases
2.3 Promote mental health
2.4 Prevention of obesity
3 Benefits of breastfeeding for the mother
4 References

Breastfeeding

Breast milk is the first complete natural food that is full of energy and nutrients that a baby needs in the first six months of his life.
Many experts, including those of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the experts of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, strongly recommend that you rely on
Breastfeeding only without passing meals of formula, juice, and water for the first six months of the infant’s life.
During the second six months of a child’s life, breast milk provides half of the baby’s nutritional needs and more.
Also, breast milk provides up to a third of the baby’s nutritional needs during the second year of his life,
When a baby completes its first six months, other foods should be introduced to the baby’s diet in addition to breastfeeding, such as:
Vegetables
Grain
fruits,
Proteins
Also, the World Health Organization stated that breastfeeding has health benefits that extend into adulthood,
And that it has a role in reducing the number of child deaths.

Benefits of breastfeeding a child

Breast milk represents the child’s complete need for food and drink.
What a mother gives to her child when breastfeeding is invaluable and no one else can provide.
Breastfeeding has several benefits that can be detailed as follows:

1- The healthy growth and development of the child

Breast milk helps to promote the healthy growth and development of the child, protect it, and strengthen the building of his immune system.
Since it contains the important ingredients for that,
What distinguishes breast milk is the ability to change its components between feedings and another according to the child’s need and what suits him.
It is worth noting that breast milk is rich in all kinds of vitamins and minerals that the infant needs,
In addition to being easier to digest compared to artificially prepared milk,
This makes it an ideal food suitable for the infant’s digestive system,
It has been found that the infant’s digestive system is immature and immature.

Breast milk contains lactose, whey protein, casein protein, and fats that are easily digested by the infant.
This explains the difficulty of digestion, diarrhea and constipation experienced by children who eat artificially prepared milk,
The Food and Drug Administration is still laying down the instructions regulating the work of companies concerned with preparing infant formula to be very close to breast milk.
However, reaching the replication stage is difficult, as breast milk contains complex components that are difficult to manufacture in a laboratory so far.

2- Fighting infection and other diseases

The number of infections and hospitalizations for infants who are breastfed is lower than the number of infants dependent on formula.
The reason for this is that many antibodies and many germ-fighting agents are passed from the mother to her infant during breastfeeding.
Which boosts the child’s immune system,
In general, relying on breastfeeding reduces the infant’s likelihood of contracting many different types of infections and diseases, including the following:

Ear infection.
Respiratory infection.
diarrhea.
Meningitis.
Urinary tract infection.
Sensitivity.
Asthma.
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
Some types of childhood cancers.
Diabetes mellitus types 1 and 2.

3- Promote mental health

Due to the close interaction and contact between the mother’s skin and the skin of her infant, breastfeeding has a role in enhancing emotional bonding and bonding between the mother and her infant.

4- Prevention of obesity

Breastfeeding has positive effects that are reflected in the prevention and reduction of obesity, due to the unique characteristics of breastfeeding.

Benefits of breastfeeding for the mother

Breastfeeding has many benefits that positively affect the mother, the most prominent of which are the following:
1- Recovery and recovery after delivery, and reduce exposure to severe bleeding that may occur after childbirth.
2- Helping you return to your pre-pregnancy weight, and burn an additional 500 calories a day.
3- Strengthening the mother’s bones.
4- Strengthening the emotional bond between the mother and her children.
5- Relaxation that the mother gets after the breastfeeding session, and this relaxation occurs as a result of the increased secretion of the hormone oxytocin, which gives a feeling of calm and comfort after each breastfeeding session.
6- Reducing the risk of diabetes, endometrial cancer, breast cancer, and ovarian cancer in the later stages of life.
7- Delaying the menstrual cycle.
8- Get some kind of natural protection to prevent pregnancy.
9- Saving money and time, because the mother’s milk is always ready and within the required temperature. As for the formula, the mother needs to prepare it and this consumes some time, not to mention that it is expensive.