World Breastfeeding Week 2020: Breastfeeding is a boon for a baby's health. Many don't know that it is beneficial for the mother as well in several ways. Here are some notable benefits you must know.
World Breastfeeding Week 2020: Breast milk provides essential nutrients to the newborn
HIGHLIGHTS
- World Breastfeeding Week promoted importance of breast milk for the child
- Breastfeeding can help mothers shed weight
- Breastfeeding is essential for optimum growth of the child
The theme of World Breastfeeding Week 2020 is to "Support breastfeeding for a healthier planet". It promotes the importance to protect and promote women's access to skilled breastfeeding counseling which is a critical component of breastfeeding support. WHO recommends that mothers should exclusively breastfeed their babies for at least 6 months after delivery. Breastfeeding not only benefits the baby but also has numerous advantages for the mother. Dr. Sunil Eshwar, Lead Consultant, Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Aster RV Hospital explains some salient features.
World Breastfeeding Week 2020: Breastfeeding benefits for both baby and mother
Benefits of Breastfeeding for Your Baby
1. Breast milk provides the ideal nutrition for infants. It provided the infants all the necessary nutrients including vitamins, protein, and fat which is everything the baby needs to grow into a strong healthy adult. All these nutrients are provided in a form that is more easily digested than infant formula.
2. Babies who are breastfed exclusively for the first 6 months, without any artificial formula feeds have lesser respiratory illnesses, diarrhea and ear infections. They also have fewer hospitalisations and seldom require medications.
3. Breast milk contains antibodies such as Immunoglobulins (IgA), Lactoferrrin, Anti-viral factors that help your baby fight off viruses and bacteria. Breastfeeding lowers your baby's risk of having asthma or allergies.
4. Breastfeeding helps in developing a relation between the mother and the child. It also helps babies maintain a healthy weight.
5. According to studies, breastfeeding has been linked to higher IQ scores in later childhood.
6. Breastfeeding also plays a role in the prevention of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). It's been thought to lower the risk of diabetes and childhood obesity.
Breast milk is necessary for optimum growth of the baby
Photo Credit: iStock
Breastfeeding Benefits for the Mother
1. Breastfeeding is convenient, needs no preparation and is readily available at the right temperature. The act of breast feeding burns extra calories, so it helps the mother to lose weight gained in pregnancy faster.
2. Breast feeding releases the hormone oxytocin, which helps the post-delivery uterus return to its pre-pregnancy size and also helps reduce uterine bleeding after birth. This in turn prevents blood loss and anemia in the mother.
3. Breastfeeding is also known to lower risk of breast and ovarian cancer.
4. Last but not the least exclusive breastfeeding helps in delaying another pregnancy by providing a natural form of contraception for the mother.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. NDTV is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information on this article. All information is provided on an as-is basis. The information, facts or opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of NDTV and NDTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.
DoctorNDTV is the one stop site for all your health needs providing the most credible health information, health news and tips with expert advice on healthy living, diet plans, informative videos etc. You can get the most relevant and accurate info you need about health problems like diabetes, cancer, pregnancy, HIV and AIDS, weight loss and many other lifestyle diseases. We have a panel of over 350 experts who help us develop content by giving their valuable inputs and bringing to us the latest in the world of healthcare.
