101 reasons to breatsfeed your child

Kathy - posted on 03/22/2010

I think this is great!

Anneke - posted on 03/22/2010

Well I thought it was quite a good 101 for a start, didnt know it didnt cover all, please do feel free to add to it though. I have posted this elsewhere in other groups but it was seen as formula bashing which it wasnt its what it says thats all, And new mums interested in breastfeeding will hopefully read this thats who. I was breatsfeeding before I knew some of these to be honest, lucky I choose right and stuck with it. Then learned ! you wouldn't believe how formula is first where I live! this is for people who just want a browse maybe they didnt know a few thngs (which I doubt your all well clued up) and new mums who are trying to make a decision.

*Fluffy Bunnies - posted on 03/22/2010

Thanks for the info, Anneka. I think she posted it here because it's a breastfeeding group.

Awhina - posted on 03/22/2010

oh totally agree but saying that breast fed babies are more healthier than formular fed babies come on thats completely untrue trust me a mum of 6 and i breast fed and did formula im just saying from experience thats all

good info for a new mum but not good for her if she realises that she cant breastfeed due to her child being unable to suck you just put her right into worry mode and feeling like a useless mother unable to bond so yeah its a hard one but no your not formula bashing you just havent covered all your bases on who is going to read this

Anneke - posted on 03/22/2010

in other places people think this is formula bashing. Its information on why breastfeeding is good for your child, how the hell is it a joke or offensive to anyone? some people need to catch a grip.
And most of its not a joke its quite a serious issue that a lot of mothers could take more seriously .

Awhina - posted on 03/22/2010

hahahahaha oh yes i have breastfed 3 of my 6 children and absolutely love it my 3 other children i couldnt breast feed as they were born with cleft palate so there is no sucking at all from them and had to bottle feed with a special pigeon bottle made for cleft babies
i have 7 friends who breastfed their babies and all the diseases that you posted happened to all their babies and never ever was formular given to any of these babies so your post made me laugh more than anything
i think that its very funny
i support breast feeding absolutely but alot of things that you posted are a complete joke
all babies no matter what the hell their fed get low I.Q.'s and meningitis and on and on
but good on you for pushing breast feeding

Tara - posted on 03/21/2010

holy crap thats alot of info!! lol. very glad you posted this, i read all of this in a book and tried to point out this to a friend who only believed in formula...haha nice reaction i got from them :)..this is in no way of bashing anyone im sure

Anneke - posted on 03/21/2010

it will let me copy and past however.



1. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding

According to the AAP, "Human milk is species-specific, and all substitute feeding preparations differ markedly from it, making human milk uniquely superior for infant feeding. Exclusive breastfeeding is the reference or normative model against which all alternative feeding methods must be measured with regard to growth, health, development, and all other short- and long-term outcomes. In addition, human milk-fed premature infants receive significant benefits with respect to host protection and improved developmental outcomes compared with formula-fed premature infants… Pediatricians and parents should be aware that exclusive breastfeeding is sufficient to support optimal growth and development for approximately the first 6 months of life and provides continuing protection against diarrhea and respiratory tract infection. Breastfeeding should be continued for at least the first year of life and beyond for as long as mutually desired by mother and child."



A.A.P. Breastfeeding Policy Statement: Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk Pediatrics Vol. 115 No. 2 February 2005



(http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi...)



2. The American Dietetic Association promotes breastfeeding

The ADA also believes that "the bonding that occurs during breastfeeding makes it a special choice." The ADA actively promotes breastfeeding, stating that "It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that broad-based efforts are needed to break the barriers to breastfeeding initiation and duration. Exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months and breastfeeding with complementary foods for at least 12 months is the ideal feeding pattern for infants. Increases in initiation and duration are needed to realize the health, nutritional, immunological, psychological, economical, and environmental benefits of breastfeeding."





ADA Website: ADA Website: http://www.eatright.org/Public/Nutrition...



3. Breast milk is more digestible than formula

"In recent years nutritionists have voiced concern about overly high levels of protein in the American diet. Since cow's milk contains about twice as much protein as human milk, formula-fed babies usually receive more protein than they need (much of it in the form of the less digestible casein). The stools of formula-fed babies are so bulky because the babies cannot absorb so much protein, and excrete the excess in their stool, whereas breast-fed babies absorb virtually 100% of the protein in human milk."





The Complete Book Of Breastfeeding M.S. Eiger. MD, S. Wendkos Olds, Copyright 1999, Workman Publishing Co., Inc., 708 Broadway, New York, NY 10003



4. Not breastfeeding increases mother's risk of breast cancer

Many studies have shown that women who breastfeed have lower risks of developing breast cancer. Recently, data from 47 studies in 30 countries was re-examined. The study group concluded that the incidence of breast cancer in developed countries could be reduced by more than half if women had the number of births and lifetime duration of breastfeeding that have been common in developing countries until recently. According to the analysis, breastfeeding could account for almost two-thirds of this estimated reduction in breast cancer incidence.



Jernstorm, H et al "Breast-feeding and the risk of breast cancer in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers." J Natl Cancer Inst. 2004;96:1094-1098



Lee, SY et al "Effect of lifetime lactation on breast cancer risk: a Korean women's cohort study." Int J Cancer. 2003;105:390-393



Collaborative Group on Hormonal Factors in Breast Cancer (2002). "Breast cancer and breastfeeding: collaborative reanalysis of individual data from 47 epidemiological studies in 30 countries, including 50,302 women with breast cancer and 96,973 women without the disease." Lancet 360: 187-95



Zheng et al, "Lactation Reduces Breast Cancer Risk in Shandong Province, China" Am. J. Epidemiol. Dec. 2000, 152 (12): 1129



Newcomb PA, Storer BE, Longnecker MP, et al. "Lactation and a reduced risk of premenopausal breast cancer." N Engl J Med. 1994;330:81-87



5. Baby's suckling helps shrink mother's uterus after childbirth

The uterus of the non-breastfeeding mother will never shrink back to its pre-pregnant size. It will always remain slightly enlarged.



"Nursing will help you to regain your figure more quickly, since the process of lactation causes the uterus (which has increased during pregnancy to about 20 times its normal size) to shrink more quickly to its pre-pregnancy size. "



The Complete Book Of Breastfeeding M.S. Eiger. MD, S. Wendkos Olds, Copyright 1999, Workman Publishing Co., Inc., 708 Broadway, New York, NY 10003



6. Formula feeding increases baby girls' risk of developing breast cancer in later life

Women who were formula-fed as infants have higher rates of breast cancer as adults. For both premenopausal and postmenopausal breast cancer, women who were breastfed as children, even if only for a short time, had a 25% lower risk of developing breast cancer than women who were bottle-fed as infants.



Freudenheim, J. et al. 1994 "Exposure to breast milk in infancy and the risk of breast cancer". Epidemiology 5:324-331



7. Formula Feeding is associated with lower I.Q.

Human breast milk enhances brain development and improves cognitive development in ways that formula cannot. One study has found that the average I.Q. of 7 and 8 year old children who had been breastfed as babies was 10 points higher than their bottle fed peers. All of the children involved had been born prematurely and tube fed the human milk, indicating that the milk itself, not the act of breastfeeding, caused this difference in I.Q. level. Another study to support this statement was done in New Zealand. Here an 18 year longitudinal study of over 1,000 children found that those who were breastfed as infants had both higher intelligence and greater academic achievement than children who were infant-formula fed.



HMortensen EL et al (2002). "The association between duration of breastfeeding and adult intelligence" JAMA 287: 2365-71



Anderson JW et al (1999) "Breastfeeding and cognitive development: a meta-analysis" Am J Clin Nutr 70: 525-35



Horwood and Fergusson, "Breastfeeding and Later Cognitive and Academic Outcomes" Jan 1998 Pediatrics Vol. 101, No. 1



Lucas A., "Breast Milk and Subsequent Intelligence Quotient in Children Born Preterm". Lancet 1992;339:261-62



Wang YS, Wu SY. "The effect of exclusive breastfeeding on development and incidence of infection in infants." J Hum Lactation. 1996; 12:27-30



8. Breast milk is always ready and comes in a nicer package than formula does

Need we say more?



9. Breast milk helps pass meconium

Babies are born with a sticky tar-like substance called meconium in their intestines. Colostrum, or early milk, is uniquely designed to help move this substance through the infant's body.



10. Breast milk contains immunities to diseases and aids in the development of baby's immune system.

Formula provides neither of these benefits. "Breastfed babies have fewer illnesses because human milk transfers to the infant a mother's antibodies to disease. About 80% of the cells in breast milk are macrophages, cells that kill bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Breastfed babies are protected in varying degrees from a number of illnesses including, pneumonia, botulism, bronchitis, staphylococcal infections, influenza, ear infections, and German measles. Furthermore, mothers produce antibodies to what ever disease is present in their environment, making their milk custom-designed to fight diseases their babies are exposed to as well."



Williams RD, "Breast-Feeding Best Bet for Babies",



U.S. Food and Drug Administration Statement: http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/895_brs...



Koutras, A.K., "Fecal Secretory Immunoglobulin A in Breast Milk vs. Formula Feeding in Early Infancy". J. Ped Gastro Nutr 1989.



11. Breastfeeding satisfies baby's emotional needs and increases bonding between mother and baby

All babies need to be held. There is no more comforting feeling for an infant of any age than being held close and cuddled while breastfeeding. In fact, studies have shown that premature babies are more likely to die if they are not held or stroked. Breastfeeding stimulates the release of the hormone oxytocin in the mother's body. "It is now well established that oxytocin, as well as stimulating uterine contractions and milk ejection, promotes the development of maternal behavior and also bonding between mother and offspring."



Uvnas-Moberg, Eriksson: "Breastfeeding: physiological, endocrine and behavioral adaptations caused by oxytocin and local neurogenic activity in the nipple and mammary gland." Acta Paediatrica, 1996 May, 85(5):525-30



12. Breast milk provides perfect infant nutrition

"Human milk is uniquely superior for infant feeding and is species-specific; all substitute feeding options differ markedly from it. The breastfed infant is the reference or normative model against which all alternative feeding methods must be measured with regard to growth, health, development, and all other short and long-term benefits."



A.A.P. Breastfeeding Policy Statement: Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk (RE2729)



13. Not breastfeeding increases mother's risk of developing ovarian cancer

Based on the research, breastfeeding for a total of 12 to 24 months can reduce your risk of ovarian cancer by about one-third.



Hartage et al, "Rates and risks of ovarian cancer in subgroups of white women in the United States." Obstet Gynecol 1994 Nov; 84(5): 760-764



Rosenblatt KA, Thomas DB, "Lactation and the risk of Epithelial ovarian cancer". Int J Epidemiol. 1993;22:192-197



Gwinn ML, "Pregnancy, breastfeeding and oral contraceptives and the risk of Epithelial ovarian cancer." J. Clin. Epidemiol. 1990; 43:559-568



14. Nursing helps mom lose weight after baby is born

Breastfeeding requires an average of 500 extra calories per day and breastfeeding mothers who eat a normal diet lose the extra weight they gained during pregnancy faster than moms who choose to bottle feed. In one study, mothers who breastfed exclusively or partially had significantly larger reductions in hip circumference and were less above their pre-pregnancy weights at 1 month postpartum than mothers who fed formula exclusively.



Other studies have also shown that women who were overweight when they began their pregnancies can safely get closer to their ideal weight by breastfeeding in conjunction with a moderate exercise program.



DC.A. Lovelady et al "The effect of weight loss in overweight lactating women on the growth of their infants." New Eng Journal of Med, 2000; 342: 449-453



Kramer, F., "Breastfeeding reduces maternal lower body fat." J. Am Diet Assoc 1993; 93(4):429-33



Dewey KG, Heinig MJ, Nommwen LA. "Maternal weight-loss patterns during prolonged lactation. "Am J Clin Nutr 1993;58:162-166



15. Pre-term milk is specially designed for premature infants

"Milk produced by women who deliver prematurely differs from that produced after a full-term pregnancy. Specifically, during the first month after parturition, pre-term milk maintains a composition similar to that of colostrum.."



Hamosh, Margit, PhD, Georgetown University Medical Center "Breast-feeding: Unraveling the Mysteries of Mother's Milk".



16. The World Health Organization and UNICEF recommend it

"Breastfeeding is an unequalled way of providing ideal food for the healthy growth and development of infants; it is also an integral part of the reproductive process with important implications for the health of mothers. As a global public health recommendation, infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life to achieve optimal growth, development and health. There after, to meet their evolving nutritional requirements, infants should receive nutritionally adequate and safe complementary foods while breastfeeding continues for up to two years of age or beyond. Exclusive breastfeeding from birth is possible except for a few medical conditions, and unrestricted exclusive breastfeeding results in ample milk production".



"Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding", World Health Organization in collaboration with UNICEF



17. Breastfeeding protects against Crohn's disease (intestinal disorder)

Crohn's Disease is a chronic intestinal disorder. It is a form of inflammatory bowel disease that causes inflammation extending into the deeper layers of the intestinal wall. It is difficult to treat, but several studies have shown that breastfeeding may help babies avoid developing the disease in later life.



Rigas A, Rigas B, Blassman M, et al. "Breast-feeding and maternal smoking in the etiology of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis in childhood." Ann Epidemiol. 1993;3387-392



Koletzko S, Sherman P, Corey M, et al. "Role of infant feeding practices in development of Crohn's disease in childhood." Br Med J. 1989;298:1617-1618



18. Formula feeding increases risk of children developing diabetes

There are many studies linking development of insulin dependant Type I diabetes (formerly referred to as "juvenile diabetes") to lack of breastfeeding. The results of a study from Finland suggest that the introduction of dairy products at an early age, and high milk consumption during childhood increase the level of cow's milk antibodies in the children's systems. This factor is associated with an increased risk of insulin dependent diabetes. Now a new study has indicated that breastfeeding in infancy may help reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes. This sort of diabetes was formerly referred to as "adult onset" diabetes, but has been mysteriously occurring in more and more youngsters.



Young, T.K. et al. Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in children. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2002; 156(7): 651-55



Gerstein HC. "Cow's milk exposure and type 1 diabetes mellitus". Diabetes Care. 1994;17:13-19



Virtanen et al: "Diet, Cow's milk protein antibodies and the risk of IDDM in Finnish children." Childhood Diabetes in Finland Study Group. Diabetologia, Apr 1994, 37(4):381-7



Virtanen SM, Rasanen L, Aro A, et al. "Infant feeding in Finnish children