
Breast milk is one of a kind for infants. Babies are born to be breastfed. Following are the notable benefits of breastfeeding. Here we go –
- Breast milk is easy to digest and contains more than 200 components
- that babies need during their first months of life.
- There are factors in breast milk that protect babies from a wide variety of diseases.
- Children who have been breastfed have a lower risk of being overweight or obese even as adults.
- Studies show that children who have been breastfed are smarter.
- Breastfeeding saves lives
- Lack of breast milk is a risk factor for infant death syndrome (SIDS)
- Breast milk protects premature babies from life-threatening gastrointestinal diseases.
- Breastfed babies are at a lower risk of dying before their first birthday.
Children who were breastfed are healthier
- Babies who received formula milk are at twice the risk of ear infections during their first year of life than those who received exclusive breast milk for at least 4 months.
- Nursing babies reduces the frequency and severity of a large number of bacterial infections, including pneumonia and meningitis.
- Breast milk protects babies from a variety of diseases, such as diarrhoea and infant botulism.
- Babies who are breastfed are at lower risk for allergies, asthma, and eczema.
- There is evidence that exclusive breastfeeding for at least two months of life protects the baby susceptible to Type I diabetes – which requires insulin treatment (DDM).
- Breastfeeding can reduce the risk of inflammatory bowel diseases, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and lymphoma during infancy.
- Breastfeeding helps mothers recover from childbirth.
- Breastfeeding helps the uterus return to its normal size and reduces the amount of blood lost after delivery.
- Mothers who breastfeed for at least 3 months may lose more weight than mothers who do not breastfeed.
- Mothers who breastfeed normally have a delay in their menstruation 20-30 weeks longer than mothers who do not breastfeed.
- Breastfeeding keeps women healthier throughout their lives
- Exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months can reduce the risk of pregnancy among women not using a method.
- contraceptive. (Method of Lactation and Amenorrhea – LAM)
- Breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast and ovarian cancer. ƒ Breastfeeding can reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
Breastfeeding is inexpensive
- The cost of infant formula has increased by 150 percent since 1980.
- Breastfeeding reduces the cost of medical expenses.
- Breastfeeding is healthier for the environment
- Unlike the formula, breastfeeding does not require fossil fuels for its production or preparation.
- Breastfeeding does not produce the contamination that is created when making plastic bottles and metal cans that contain infant formula.
- Breastfeeding reduces the burden on our garbage cans and environment, as it does not require disposing of empty cans.