August is National Breastfeeding Month

Bump in IQ? Check. Reduced ear infections? Sure. Lower risk for asthma? Yes. August is National Breastfeeding Month, and Physicians Premier, your ER in Corpus Christi, is here to share the positive effects that breastfeeding can have on both mothers and their babies.

The American Academy of Pediatrics unfailingly supports the unequivocal proof that breastfeeding protects against a wide variety of conditions and diseases:

• Diarrhea
• Bacteria
• Respiratory tract infections
• Otitis media
• Necrotizing enterocolitis
• Late-onset sepsis in preterm babies
• Urinary tract infection
• Lymphoma, Hodgkin disease, and leukemia
• Type 1 and 2 diabetes
• Childhood obesity

Yes, breastmilk is the best food for your infant, and its many benefits mean that your baby takes full advantage of your milk in a lot of important ways. The World Health Organization recommends that mothers breastfeed their child for at least six months, but did you know the reasoning behind it?

If scaled up to universal levels, more than 820,000 lives of children could be saved year after year through breastfeeding, which is a compelling enough argument!

The many benefits of breastfeeding

Breastmilk protects your baby. It is rich with live, nourishing ingredients, which includes white blood cells, stem cells, beneficial bacteria, and many bioactive components, which includes enzymes, antibodies, and hormones. All these helps prevent disease, fight infection, and contribute to healthy growth and development.

Babies who are breastfed exclusively for the first 6 months of life are less expected to suffer from colds and flu, diarrhea, thrush, and ear and chest infections.

If your child is sick, breastfeeding will prove to be very beneficial. According to Professor Peter Hartmann, an internationally renowned expert on breastfeeding and lactation, “If a baby or his mother catches an illness, the mother’s protective components in her breastmilk increases. Hence, a breastfed baby is likely to recover faster because his mother’s milk will create antibodies specific to his infection.”

It’s not all about immunity and nutrition. Breastfeeding while your baby is sick soothes and comforts, and this cannot be underestimated as an essential benefit. Studies show that breastfeeding provides relief and reduces crying when babies are getting vaccinated.

Breastfeeding has lifelong benefits

Breastfeeding isn’t just beneficial for the first six months. The longer your child continues to breastfeed, the more benefits he’ll gain.

For instance, breastfeeding encourages the production of oxytocin, also known as the love hormone, for both babies and their mothers. This encourages bonding, and can form a solid foundation for future relationships, and could even help your child deal with stress later on.

Yes, the benefits of breastfeeding last a lifetime. And you’ll surely reap the health benefits as you continue to breastfeed.

We all have a role in supporting breastfeeding. This National Breastfeeding Month, let’s help in supporting moms and babies everywhere, starting by sharing this information.

Sources:

“Live, Love, Latch!® 2020 – National Breastfeeding Month,” La Leche League of Durham, https://llldurham.org/event/live-love-latch-2020-national-breastfeeding-month/

“Benefits of Breastfeeding,” American Academy of Pediatrics, https://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/Breastfeeding/Pages/Benefits-of-Breastfeeding.aspx

“Breastfeeding in the 21st century: epidemiology, mechanisms, and lifelong effect,” PubMed, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26869575/

“What’s In Breast Milk?” American Pregnancy Association, https://americanpregnancy.org/first-year-of-life/whats-in-breastmilk/

“Maternal and infant infections stimulate a rapid leukocyte response in breastmilk,” PubMed, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25505951/

“Breast feeding and resilience against psychosocial stress,” PubMed, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16887859/

“Benefits of Breastfeeding for Mom,” HealthyChildren, https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/breastfeeding/Pages/Benefits-of-Breastfeeding-for-Mom.aspx