Why Breastfeeding is So Important

Mar 27, 2011
Tamara Croes

Beginning breastfeeding - By David Goodman from 78704 - A state of mind, USA (It just happens naturally...) [CC-BY-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Recent studies point out again that breastfeeding is the most important thing you can do for your child's future. Read why.

In January 2011 the US Surgeon General Dr. Benjamin published a Call for Action to promote breastfeeding on a national scale. The Surgeon General is the highest medical authority in the US. In the US, where one in three children is obese, there is "heavy" concern over the growing health problems relating to obesity. "Obese" means that a person is more than 20% over normal weight. While all healthcare organizations are aware that breastfeeding has a significant impact on obesity - breastfed children have 50% less chance of becoming obese later in life - breastfeeding is still not a generally accepted practice.

Benefits of breastfeeding

The benefits of breastfeeding have been extensively researched and documented. Studies have shown that breastfed children have ear infections five times less often, have much reduced chances for asthma, flu, respiratory infections, diarrhea and other gastro-intestinal diseases, and fifty percent less chance of becoming obese later in life. Breastfed children have 1/5th of the chance of non-breastfed children for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, and double the total infant survival chance. Breast milk is always available, it is always at exactly the right temperature, it always contains the exact right mix of ingredients including vitamins, minerals, protein, fat and carbohydrates, it does not need to be stored or cooled or heated, and it does not need possibly contaminated water to mix it with, which can be very important in some countries and in emergencies such as after earthquakes and hurricanes. Breastfeeding also reduces the chances of ovarian cancer and osteoporosis for the nursing mother.

(N.B. "breastfed" means "exclusively breastfed", meaning that up to 6 months no solid foods will be offered. After 6 months gradually some spoon-fed food can be introduced and will become the dominant source of nutrition. No formula is fed up to 6 months as a substitute for breast milk).

Breastfeeding mothers lack support

Although the US Call for Action states that 75% of new mothers start out breastfeeding, only 13% are still exclusively breastfeeding by the 6th month. It is thought that support from the workplace, family and friends, and healthcare professionals may be insufficient. Once the mother goes back to work it may be difficult to find a suitable place to express milk or to find a way to have the baby brought to the workplace. Employers are perhaps unaware that supporting breastfeeding mothers is in their own interest: studies have shown that breastfeeding mothers are significantly less often on sick leave than non-breastfeeding mothers. This effect lasts for years. This is due to their children being ill much less often because of antibodies in the milk, especially in the colostrum which is given the first 3 to 4 days after birth. These help protect the children against a myriad of diseases.

Formula is only intended for emergency use

Formula was originally manufactured to help in situations where the mother was unable to breastfeed (for instance if the mother has AIDS) and no suitable substitute mother could be found (the wet-nurse system, alas, being long outmoded). Formula is therefore a very useful product in its own right and undoubtedly may have saved lives. However, the formula industry saw a tremendous opportunity to make money, and although there is nothing at all wrong with that, intensive marketing has caused formula to become the norm instead of the exception. To be honest, the nutritional value of formula has been much improved over the years, but nothing can approach breast milk, precisely because it is tailored to the individual babies' needs and changes over time to adapt to the growing babies' demands. Formula should be regarded as a medicine, only to be taken when a baby or its mother is ill and normal functions are impaired.

The main reason why mothers stop breastfeeding

It may surprise you but that is: lack of proper information. The most important concern for breastfeeding mothers is the fear that their baby is not getting enough milk. This is actually the overwhelming concern with practically all new mothers. There are a number of ways in which a mother can check if the baby is receiving enough milk (see here) but according to many experts, "true insufficiency is extremely rare" if proper breastfeeding techniques are used.

The main problem is that mothers are advised to supplement their babies with formula. Breastfeeding is a supply-demand system, meaning that the more demand is placed (the baby is suckling) the more supply is created (the mother makes milk). If the baby is receiving formula it is asking less of the mother's supply, which will then decrease. So the obvious answer should be to nurse the baby as often as it wants to, and if necessary take additional measures such as expressing milk to stimulate supply.

Another important difference is that formula is digested much slower than breast milk. New mothers are told to feed their children every 3-4 hours. While this is true for bottle-fed babies, breastfed babies need to nurse much more often at first (8 to 14 times per 24 hours is usual) and this can be tiresome for the mother in the first few weeks, even though most mothers quickly learn to do a lot of things while having the baby on the breast. The feedings usually become less frequent later. If the mother is trying to keep to any feeding schedule the baby might indeed not get enough milk and be hungry all the time.

The key is proper information

It is important that mothers can get proper information and help with problems when they are breastfeeding, both in advance and after birth. Instead of only relying on healthcare professionals mothers should also contact the many existing breastfeeding support organizations, and try to connect with other breastfeeding mothers to exchange tips, experiences and information.