World Breast-Feeding Week 1-7 August. |
Here we mention the health benefits of breastfeeding your baby and why it’s good for mom too!
The aim of World Breastfeeding Week is to help raise awareness about the health benefits of breastfeeding for both baby and mom.
Did you know that breast milk is the best source of nutrition for most babies? According to the CDC (Centre for Disease Control and Prevention), as your baby grows, your breast milk will change to meet your baby’s nutritional needs.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months, followed by continued breastfeeding as complementary foods are introduced, with continuation of breastfeeding for 12 months or longer as mutually desired by mother and infant.
The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action encourages breastfeeding as a way to ensure food security and nutrition for infants up to two years old. They also state that it contributes to improved health and wellness for mothers. Let’s look at what some of the most crucial health benefits are.
In the journal “Breastfeeding and Maternal and Infant Health Outcomes in Developed Countrie”, the following results were published:
Babies who were breastfed for longer than six months showed a:
– 63% reduced risk for upper respiratory tract infections
Babies who were breastfed for at least 3 months showed a:
– 40% reduced risk of getting asthma
– Between 30 and 40% reduced risk of dermatitis
– 30% less risk of inflammatory bowel disease
– 30% less risk of Type 1 Diabetes.
And that any breastfeeding at all has the chance of lowering your child’s risk of obesity by 24% and Type 2 Diabetes.
The WHO says that Breast milk provides all the energy and nutrients that the infant needs for the first months of life, and it continues to provide up to half or more of a child’s nutritional needs during the second half of the first year, and up to one third during the second year of life.
It also says that studies have shown that Breastfed children perform better on intelligence tests, are less likely to be overweight or obese and less prone to diabetes later in life. Women who breastfeed also have a reduced risk of breast and ovarian cancers.
For more information about breastfeeding health benefits and best practice or assistance, contact your doctor.