Benefits of Breastfeeding

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One of the most important ways that you can promote your child’s health is to breastfeed. The benefits to breastfeeding and risks of formula are so well known that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) all recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life and continued breastfeeding thereafter with the introduction of complementary foods for at least the first year of life or for as long as mother and child desire.

What are these benefits?

Benefits for Baby

• Protection against infectious disease such as respiratory infections, ear infections, diarrhea, gastroenteritis, necrotizing enterocolitis, bacterial meningitis and much more.
• Perfectly matched nutrition throughout the child’s growth and development. Breast milk composition changes as the child grows. Formula is the same composition from birth to one year of age; thus, the formula fed infants must consume more quantity during a feeding as they grow to receive the needed nutrition for their developmental age.
• Foods and spices in mom’s diet flavor the breast milk and acclimate baby to a variety of flavors each feeding from birth until one year of age.
• Protection from food allergies and reduced incidence of eczema, wheezing and colic.
• Formula fed infants have a higher incidence of hospitalizations in the first year of life. Formula fed babies have an increased risk of:
  • Obesity (remember, as a child grows, they must consume more formula to get the required amount of protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, fats, etc.)
  • Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
  • Childhood cancers
  • Diabetes
  • Asthma
• Increases cognition. Studies have shown that breastfed babies have higher IQs than formula fed infants and the brain composition of a breastfed infant differs from that of a formula-fed infant.
• Decreases risk of tooth decay.
• Promotes facial development and enhances speech and oral development.

Benefits for Mom

• Breastfeeding causes uterine contractions after birth which can reduce the risk of postpartum hemorrhage.
• Aids uterus to shrink back to its pre-pregnancy size faster.
• Reduces risk of ovarian and breast cancer.
• Reduces risk of rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes and obesity.
• Promotes weight loss.
• Financial savings from cost of formula and supplies, doctor’s visits, medications and time-off from work. Formula can cost $1500 per year or more in the first year of life.
• Decreases the likelihood of getting pregnant soon after delivery due to menstruation suppression (also known as lactational amenorrhea).
• Convenient. Breast milk is always at the perfect temperature and is readily available.