How Breastfeeding Can Benefit Your Baby For A Lifetime
Breast milk contains all the important fats, proteins and nutrients a growing baby needs to thrive. Breast fed babies tend to be healthier than bottle fed babies because breast milk contains substances that guard them against a wide range of illnesses. Breastfeeding not only benefits your child in infancy, it has protective effects that last into adulthood.
Breast fed babies have fewer chest, ear, and gastrointestinal infections than bottle fed babies and those they do have are less severe. This is because breast milk, particularly colostrum (the first milk produced), contains immune factors that protect the baby's mucous membranes from invading germs. Breast fed babies also suffer less from vomiting and diarrhea.
Breastfeeding strengthens a baby's natural defences and protects against allergies. Antibodies in breast milk called immunoglobulins boost a baby's immune system and help to prevent foreign proteins from triggering an allergic reaction. Breast fed babies have a lower risk of developing food allergies, asthma and eczema in childhood than formula fed babies.
Research shows that breast fed babies are less prone to becoming obese as adults than bottle fed babies. Infants who are formula fed early on gain weight more rapidly. This may set the stage for weight gain throughout their lives. Breast fed babies produce less of the hormone insulin, responsible for storing fat, and more of the hormone leptin, which helps regulate the appetite.
Breast milk helps protect babies against developing childhood (type 1) diabetes and also reduces their risk of developing adult (type 2) diabetes in later life. Studies have shown that infants fed on cow's milk are more likely to become diabetic. The immune agents in breast milk seem to offer some protection against the disease. Type 2 diabetes is caused by excess insulin. Research on adults has shown that those fed on formula as infants have higher insulin levels than those who were breast fed.
Babies who are breast fed have a lower risk of developing heart problems later in life. Research has shown that adults who were breast fed as infants tend to have a significantly lower body mass index and a higher level of HDL (good cholesterol) than adults who had been bottle fed. High BMI and low HDL are risk factors for heart disease.
Breastfeeding may increase intelligence. One study which followed 1000 children from birth to the age of 18 found that breastfeeding was associated with higher cognitive and academic ability. The fats and amino acids in breast milk play an important role in the development of the infant brain and nervous system.
If you are breastfeeding your baby you probably know about the difficulties of doing breastfeeding in public. Breastfeeding in public does not have to be difficult. Check out the Nursing Cover for Moms website and discover how easy it is to breastfeed your baby while away from home.
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