No food is more perfect for babies than breast milk. Breast milk contains all the nutrients that a newborn needs -- to date some 100 "ingredients" have been identified in breast milk that cannot be duplicated in formula. In fact, the benefits of breastfeeding are so well established that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) now recommends that women breastfeed their infants for at least one year, and exclusively for the first six months.

Today, most women do not breastfeed their babies for the length of time recommended by the AAP. It's important to remember, though, that not all women have the desire or the ability to breastfeed. And some women are unable to breastfeed for an entire year. Even a little breast milk can help your baby, but if that isn't possible, today's baby formulas are the next best thing.

•Breast milk strengthens a baby's immune system and protects against many kinds of infection. Breast milk is full of antibodies that protect babies from bacteria and viruses. If you breastfeed, that means your baby is less likely to develop ear infections, diarrhea, or respiratory illnesses -- which in turn means fewer visits to the pediatrician. Breast milk also seems to boost a baby's immune system, so that babies have a better response to immunizations against diseases such as diphtheria, tetanus, Haemophilusinfluenzae (a bacteria that can cause diseases like meningitis and pneumonia) and infections with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a potentially life-threatening respiratory illness.

•Breast milk provides all the nutrition a baby needs. Breast milk is the perfect food for babies because it provides the exact amounts of protein, fat, sugar, and water that they need. As your baby grows, the composition of the milk changes to meet his body's demands at different stages in his development. Breast milk is also easier for babies to digest than formula.

•Breast milk may help protect against serious diseases such as leukemia and diabetes. Researchers at the University of Minnesota reported that primarily breastfeeding during infancy for any duration was associated with a 21 percent reduction in the risk of acute lymphoblastic leukemia and acute myeloid leukemia. Babies who were breastfed for more than six months had the lowest risk. A larger study found that breastfeeding also helps protect against another form of leukemia, known as acute myeloblastic leukemia. Also, researchers in Lithuania reported that breastfeeding for longer than two months helps protect against Type 1 diabetes.

•Breastfeeding may protect children from obesity. Because breast milk provides the fat, protein, and other components that babies need, breastfed babies often don't gain as much weight as formula-fed babies. Studies show that breastfed babies are less likely to be obese later in life.

•Breastfeeding is convenient. If you breastfeed, you don't need to mix formula, scramble to make and warm a bottle in the middle of the night, or wonder if you've left home with enough food for your infant. As long as your baby is with you, when she's hungry you can feed her immediately.

•Breastfeeding is "cheap." Depending on which brand you buy, formula can cost hundreds of dollars each month. Breast milk is free.

•It helps your uterus return to its normal size. When you nurse your newborn for the first time, it stimulates the release of oxytocin from your pituitary gland. This hormone not only tells the breasts to release milk to the baby (known as the milk ejection reflex, or "let-down"), but also produces contractions in the uterus. This prevents postpartum hemorrhage and helps the uterus to return to its nonpregnant size.

•Breastfeeding burns calories. Making milk requires your body to burn about 200 to 500 calories per day. That's approximately the number of calories you'd burn if you swam about 30 laps in a pool or bicycled uphill for an hour. If you had diabetes during your pregnancy, you are at an increased risk of developing diabetes later in life -- losing pregnancy weight will lower that risk.

•Breastfeeding produces a sense of calm. Prolactin, the milk-making hormone, appears to produce a special calmness in mothers. Having a newborn in the home can be very taxing, so breastfeeding may help you weather the early, stressful months more easily

•Breastfeeding reduces your risk of developing breast and ovarian cancers. Researchers at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill examined data from the Carolina Breast Cancer Study and compared the rates of breast cancer in 751 mothers who had breastfed at least once and 743 mothers who had not. The study found that the risk of breast cancer among women who had breastfed was reduced by 20 percent in women age 20 to 49 years and 30 percent in women ages 50 to 74 years, in comparison to those who had not breastfed. The researchers speculated that breastfeeding may cause structural changes in the breast that offer the protective factors. In addition, several studies suggest that breastfeeding also protects against ovarian, cervical, and endometrial cancers.

-- Dana Sullivan is a writer in Reno, Nevada. Her work has appeared in several national magazines, including Parenting, Parents, Fit Pregnancy, Real Simple and Self. She is co-author of The Essential C-Section Guide (Broadway Books/Random House, 2004).

References

Last updated May 29, 2009
Copyright © 2005 Consumer Health Interactive

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