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Breastfeeding
A Win-Win Situation
Breastfeeding is good for mom and baby. Although there are important health benefits for both, one of the most valuable is the special bonding that develops between mom and her new baby as they get to know each other.
But here are some of the proven advantages for breastfed babies and their mothers:
Fewer illnesses, faster
recovery
The
antibodies found in breast milk provide immunities that make it
easier for a baby help to fend off illnesses such as colds and ear
infections. So not only do breastfed babies tend to get sick less
often, but when they do get sick, they get better faster than babies
who are not breastfed. Premature babies who get breast milk have
fewer gastrointestinal problems.
Long-term health benefits
for baby
The positive effects of breastfeeding last well beyond babyhood. A
study in the British Medical Journal reports that babies exclusively
breastfed for six months important dividends of this intimate time
were 43 percent less likely to become obese as children; if they
were breastfed for more than a year, they were 72 percent less
likely to be overweight. Another British study suggests that
breastfed babies have a reduced risk for hypertension later in life.
Brian Palmer, a dentist in Kansas City, Mo., found that
breastfeeding reduces the risk of snoring and obstructive sleep
apnea later in life. He theorizes that bottle nipples change the
shape of a baby's mouth in early months and this can contribute to
problems later.
Pounds off for Mom
Producing breast milk requires about 500 calories a day,
contributing to a woman's weight loss and after her baby is born.
"When I breastfed, the pregnancy pounds seemed to melt off" says
Kate Nelson, mother three, from New York City.
Maternal health
Early studies indicate breastfeeding may decrease a woman's risk
of pre-menopausal breast cancer. It also appears to protect against
osteoporosis.
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