BREASTFEEDING
Breastfeeding is
the feeding of an infant or young child with milk from a woman's breasts.
Babies have a sucking reflex that enables them to suck and swallow milk.With
few exceptions, human breast milk is the best source of nourishment for human
infants. However, experts disagree about how long to breastfeed to gain the
greatest benefit, and how much more risk is involved in using artificial formulas.A
mother may breastfeed her infant, or another infant, e.g., as a wet nurse.
Breastfeeding “promotes health, helps prevent infant and childhood disease,
and saves health care costs” In many countries, including developed countries,
artificial feeding is associated with more deaths from diarrhoea in infants.National
governments and international organizations promote breastfeeding as the best
method of feeding infants in their first two years and beyond. The World Health
Organization (WHO) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) also promote
breastfeeding.Regulating authorities recognize the superiority of breastfeeding
but also try to make artificial feeding safer.
Benefits
Breastfeeding benefits mother and child both physically and psychologically.
While nutrients and antibodies pass to the baby, beneficial hormones are released
into the mother's body.The bond between baby and mother can also be strengthened
during breastfeeding.Breastfed babies have an average of around 7 points higher
IQ if they have a certain gene occuring in around 90% of babies.Breastfed
babies have a lower risk of sudden infant death syndrome. Arousal from sleep
is believed to be an important survival mechanism that may be impaired in
victims of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). Forty three healthy term infants
were studied using daytime polysomnography (a record of a person’s sleep patter,
breathing, heart activity, and limb movements during sleep) during three periods
of 2-4 post term weeks, 2-3 months post term, and 5-6 months post term. In
the study, measurements of arousal threshold in response to nasal air jet
stimulation were made in both active sleep (AS) and quiet sleep (QS). Arousal
thresholds and sleep period lengths were compared between formula fed and
breast fed infants at each age. From their research, they concluded that breastfed
infants are more easily aroused from AS at 2-3 months of age compared to formula
fed infants. This age is at the same time as peak incidences of SIDS.(1)
source
(1) wikipedia