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15 Reasons Why Breastfeeding Is Important?

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Breast milk is made in the breasts of all women and has been designed by nature to be the ideal food for human infants. Breastfeeding gives your baby a stronger immune system, better organ development and function, healthier digestion, and protection against allergies and obesity in childhood which are especially important in the first six months.

Here are reasons why breastfeeding is important.

15 Benefits Of Breastfeeding For Baby And Mother

Breast milk is toxin-free. It’s the perfect food for your baby, with just the right amount of protein, fat, carbohydrates, and other nutrients that are essential for healthy growth and development. It has natural antibodies which protect your newborn from infections.

No formula can beat breast milk in this respect. Following are the benefits of breastfeeding for mother and baby.

1. Breast Milk Contains Appropriate Mix Of Nutrients For Babies  

Breast milk supplies all the energy and nutrients your baby needs for the first 6 months, supplemented with vitamins and minerals after that to age one.  The nutritional content of breast milk changes during feeding and for a day.  

The average caloric content of colostrum, the first milk produced in insignificant quantities for newborns, is high.  It falls to about half that of mature milk during the second week after birth, then gradually increases to full-calorie values by 4 weeks to 6 months.

Why Breastfeeding Is Important

2. Breastfeeding Helps Protect From Allergies

Breastfeeding reduces the risk of allergies in babies by introducing them to potential allergens while their immune system is developing rather than after symptoms have already appeared. This strengthens the immune system and minimizes symptoms that can result from allergies.

 Babies who are not breastfed are more likely to develop allergies. Both breastfeeding and the use of antibiotics during pregnancy have been linked to an increase in asthma symptoms in babies.

3. Breastfeeding Helps Protect From Cancer

Breastfeeding protects against ear infections, respiratory illnesses, diarrhea, and other types of infections that can lead to cancer later on. Breastfeeding also reduces the risk of leukemia. Some studies have shown that breastfeeding for more than 12 months may increase protection against the development of childhood lymphoma and leukemia.

4. Breastfeeding Helps Protect From Infections

Breast milk contains white blood cells, antibodies, antimicrobial agents, enzymes, and proteins that all work together to help protect your baby from infections. It also strengthens the immune system. Babies who are not breastfed are more likely to have ear infections, respiratory illnesses, diarrhea, and other types of infections.

Reference Video – The Benefits Of Breastfeeding

5. Breastfeeding Improved Cognitive Development

Breastfeeding has been linked to higher scores on measures of cognitive development and achievement, including IQ tests and reading recognition and comprehension. It also reduces the risk of behavior problems such as hyperactivity and inattention by about 50 percent compared to formula-fed babies. Breastfeeding may enhance a baby’s brain development by enriching the mother’s diet with fatty acids; it may also reduce the risk of obesity and lower the incidence of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease in adulthood.

6. Breastfeeding Reduced Risk Of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

Breastfed babies have a lower risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), perhaps because they are exposed to fewer infectious agents and other irritants. One study found that babies who were breastfed for more than 2 months had a 50 percent lower risk of dying from SIDS than those who weren’t breastfed at all

7. Breastfeeding Enhances The Mother-Child Bond

The American Academy of Paediatrics notes that breastfeeding strengthens the mother-child bond, helps create closeness and trust between mother and child, enhances self-esteem, and provides feelings of warmth, comfort, security, pleasure, and relaxation.

 Breastfeeding also allows mothers to identify their baby’s needs quickly. Breastfeeding may enhance emotional development by providing a strong and continuous attachment between mother and baby. It also allows for more skin-to-skin contact, which can promote bonding.

8. Breastfeeding Improved IQ Score

A study showed that mothers who breastfeed have children with higher intelligence scores in their early school years. Scientists have yet to identify the precise way in which breastfeeding boosts intelligence, but they believe it may strengthen neural pathways in the brain or promote healthy brain development.

9. Breastfeeding Stronger Baby Teeth

An early study found that children who were breastfed exclusively for six weeks or longer had a lower incidence of dental malocclusion (misaligned teeth) than those who were not breastfed. Breast milk also helps to harden tooth enamel.

10. Breastfeeding Lowers Cholesterol Levels

A study in Bogota, Colombia showed that when infants were fed with breast milk for 12 months or more, their cholesterol levels were significantly lower than those who were given formula instead. This is particularly beneficial to babies at risk of developing obesity and high cholesterol during adulthood.”

Breastfeeding can lower cholesterol levels in mothers who are at high risk for cardiovascular disease. Breastfed babies also have lower cholesterol than their formula-fed peers.

11. Breastfeeding Strengthens Bones

Human breast milk is rich in calcium and vitamin D, minerals that help to build bones and teeth during infancy when the body absorbs more nutrients than at any other time. Breastfeeding may also reduce the risk of osteoporosis in later life.

12. Breastfeeding Reduces The Risk Of Diabetes

Mothers who breastfeed have a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes, even years after they stop breastfeeding. Formula feeding increases the risk of diabetes in mothers. The protective effect of breastfeeding may be due to the hormones in breast milk that help regulate blood sugar levels.

13. Breastfeeding Reduces The Risk Of Certain Cancers

Breastfeeding may reduce the mother’s risk of ovarian and breast cancer. It also reduces the risk of uterine cancer. Some research suggests that breastfeeding may also protect against childhood cancers, such as leukemia.

14. Breastfeeding Reduces The Risk Of Asthma

Breastfeeding may reduce the risk of childhood asthma. One study found that children who were breastfed for more than six months had a 50 percent lower risk of developing asthma than those who weren’t breastfed at all.

Breastfeeding may protect against asthma by promoting a healthy bacterial environment in the digestive tract.

15. Breastfeeding Promotes Healthy Growth

Breast milk is the ideal food for babies and provides all the nutrients they need for healthy growth and development. It also contains antibodies that help protect infants from infection. Breastfeeding is important for both the mother and baby and provides a wealth of benefits that cannot be found in any other food.

Importance Of Breastfeeding – Conclusion

Breastfeeding is important for both the mother and baby, with numerous benefits that cannot be found in any other food. The American Academy of Paediatrics recommends breastfeeding for at least the first year of a child’s life and breastfeeding beyond the first year has additional benefits.

Breastfeeding can improve IQ scores in young children and reduce obesity in adolescence. Breastfeeding also reduces the risk of cancer, asthma, and a variety of other illnesses. Breastfeeding is an important way to promote healthy growth and development in infants.

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