The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for an infant’s first six months of life and then continued breastfeeding until age two (WHO,2015). The benefits of breastfeeding are well established in literature as being favorable for both the infant and mother. Breastfeeding has a range of advantages including nutritional, immunological and psychological benefits for the baby. Breast milk is a complex, living nutritional fluid containing antibodies, enzymes, long-chain fatty acids and hormones, many of which cannot be replicated in formula (Battersby, 2016). The drawbacks of breastfeeding are practically nonexistence, yet the breastfeeding rates continue to be well below the goals as established by Healthy People. The …show more content…
The focus of this model is health care for all members of the community, with a multisectoral approach. The six key elements of the dimensions model are biophysical, psychological, physical environmental, socio-cultural, behavioral, and health systems. Health Systems. The availability of existing lactation services is somewhat limited. Public health does have a lactation nurse available but her time is usually spent following up with and doing home visits with new moms discharged from the hospital. That makes her availability after the first three to four weeks postpartum pretty limited. There is also a breastfeeding class offered to expecting moms, however the moms interviewed did not feel like there was enough education provided in this class. The local hospital also has a full time lactation consultant for inpatient moms, and several of the OB nurses are certified lactation consultants. Again, the moms interviewed did not feel that the education provided in the hospital was enough to promote breastfeeding to six months. Many of the moms interviewed were not aware of the above services, so there is again a lack of education and advertising. The town has one hospital, one walk in clinic, several doctor offices. It has providers in the specialty areas of cardiology, endocrinology, pediatrics, neurology, dermatology, nephrology, and family practice. There is an ambulance service also. Accessibility of services for lactation services are also limited. There is nothing offered in the evenings or weekends for lactation services. The location of public health is centrally located adding convenience. The cost of the public health services and the breastfeeding classes are free. The inpatient hospital lactation provider does charge a fee for a consultation. Among the women interviewed these services were all underutilized, usually
It is shown that the longer the duration of breastfeeding, the less likely they are to develop these health issues (Godfrey, Lawrence 1598).
AHRQ. (2009). Breastfeeding, Maternal & Infant Health Outcomes. Retrieved January 22, 2015, from Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality: http://archive.ahrq.gov/clinic/tp/brfouttp.htm
Breast-feeding is nutritionally, emotionally and physically superior for a mother and her child. “Human breast milk is not standard nor is it interchangeable with cow’s milk. It is a dynamic fluid that changes in composition to meet the needs of the baby as it grows” (“Giving your Baby... Diet.” par. #10). Breast milk contains growth factors and antibodies which stimulate the growing baby and protect it from illness such as diarrhea, ear infections, rashes, allergies, asthma, skin problems, pneumonia, respiratory illness and other serious illnesses. Breast-feeding also improves a baby’s chance of remaining healthy. These antibodies are not found in formula. They can not be sustained. Breast-fed babies are also neurodevelopmentally more
Breastfeeding is one of the best methods for providing infants with a healthy start to life. Breast milk helps the body fight off various bacteria and viruses that one’s child might be at risk for catching. Breastfed babies are thirty-six percent less likely to die from sudden infant death syndrome and are fifty-five percent likely to become obese later in life, compared to babies who are not breastfeed. (Workplace and Public Accommodations for Nursing Mothers, 2016) Not only is the child benefiting from breastfeeding, the mother is as well. Women who breastfeed are more likely to revert to their
The World Health Organization suggests that mothers solely breastfeed for the first six months of life, and continue to use breast milk to supplement the child’s diet for up to two years and beyond. Despite this being encouraged all around the world, the percentage of mothers who actually follow this advice is only high in developing countries. In these countries, over 99% of mothers typically begin breastfeeding newborns, and many children continue to be breastfed through their second year (Brown, 2015). In developed countries, the percentage drops drastically. In the UK, and similarly in America, Australia, and much of Europe, the percentage of mothers who begin breastfeeding is high, 81%, but the percentage drops to just 55% at six weeks. Norway experienced similar percentages in the 1970s, but there has been a culture change that has led to 98% of mothers breastfeeding at
The immediate and long-term benefits of breastfeeding have been demonstrated. Mothers are encouraged to begin breastfeeding immediately after delivery, however mothers choosing to breastfeed find numerous challenges once returning to work. There are not appropriate accommodations to support nursing mothers in the workplace. Although there are laws in place to support accommodations in the workplace these laws are not enforced and therefore it is virtually impossible for mothers to continue to breastfeed as a result of the significant barriers they face to effectively find suitable accommodations in the workplace. There needs to be a standard for enforcing these policies if the goal is to move toward encouraging all mothers to breastfeed throughout the first six months of life.
This paper discusses the benefits breastfeeding has on infants and children. The hypothesis is that feeding breast milk to infants significantly improves their health and cognitive functioning. Research which supports this hypothesis is discussed in this paper. The paper will discuss the methods and results of each study. Two studies are about the positive effects that breast milk has on the brain and cognitive development. Another study is about the positive effects that breast milk has on infants health.
Breast feeding has been in practice for a very long time, as early as 2000 BC. Before the invention of formula, bottles, and pumps this was the safest most common way for a mother to feed their infants. In fact, for 99% of human history breast milk was the sole source of nutrition for children until the age of two. In today’s society there are many different and opposing personal stand points on where or not a mother should breast feed their children. It is a very controversial topic with many variables. In breast feeding there are several benefits, reasons, and cultural effects that go into making the decision to engage or stay away from breast feeding. There is also historical causes and cultural differences that lead influence a mothers
Breast milk is widely acknowledged as the complete form of nutrition for infants with a range of benefits for infants’ health, growth, immunity and development (Breastfeeding- Natural Is Best). All these factors can decrease Sudden Infant Death Syndrome(SIDS) and mortality. In serval meta-analyses babies that are breastfeed have a 36% decrease in the risk of SIDS. According to The Lives Saved Tool, an estimated 823,000 yearly deaths would be saved if breastfeeding was scaled up to universal levels. Disorders like necrotizing enterocolitis, that has a high case-fatality, showed a 58% decrease with breastfeeding (Victoria, Cesar G, et all.).
Enforce laws of protecting workplace pumping breast milk;(7) Free breastfeeding from public indecency laws; (8) provide campaigns about breastfeeding awareness and education about it. Breastfeeding practices were examined form 2 group: breastfeeding infant and mother for 18 to 45 year-old who had a live child. The question Mother's general information such as age, ethnicity, poverty status, income, education, marital status, working time and type of employer of mother also includes in the study because these factors can impact on the decision of breastfeeding.The result showed that there was a greater percent of infant who ever breastfeeds in states where promoting breastfeeding laws presents, infants who were breastfeeding for at least 6 months have greater proportion in the state with enforcement of pumping laws and exemption from jury duty. Associate to infant report, there was a great percent of mother start or continue breastfeeding in states which law protecting breastfeed in public
In December 1997 the American Academy of Pediatrics issued its most aggressive statement to due urging mothers to breastfeed for at least a year and beyond “for as long as mutually desired.” Mother’s milk alone provides all the nutrients necessary for a baby’s physical and mental development for at least at least six months, with the added benefit of natural immunity against numerous diseases. In Milk, Money and Madness: The Culture and Politics of Breastfeeding, Naomi Baumslag, MD, MPD, asserts that “breastfed babies also have lower incidence of allergies, urinary tract infections, obesity, learning, behavioral and psychological problems, later-life heart disease, pneumonia, neonatal sepis, and giardia
Whether to breastfeed or to formula feed is one of the many decisions parents have to make when caring for a newborn baby. The decision may seem simple in which parents base there decision on comfort, convenience and finance but little do most parents know the decision being made can have damaging long term effects than that of the present. There is plenty of research that state the significance of breastfeeding that go far beyond the extent of bonding between mother and newborn. Although, that too is important. Breast milk is known to contain antibodies which can help the newborn in developing a strong immune system which influence all the body systems. Research has shown that breast-milk can help prevent long term diseases such as
Any infant enters the world completely relying on their mother, whether it’s to provide security, comfort, or their first meal. Breastfeeding, although pretty self-explanatory, is the act of a woman feeding a baby with milk from her breast. It is recommended that a baby be breastfed for the first time within an hour of their birth and exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life (Belsky, 2012). However, there is a stigma attached to breastfeeding in some areas of the world, especially the United States, so a common alternative is formula. There are many benefits not only the infant can gain from being breastfed, but also benefits the mother can obtain from providing this nutrition for her child. This paper will discuss
An infant who is breastfed receives added health benefits compared to a child who is formula fed. In the first few days after birth, the breast milk is comprised of protein, vitamins A and E, and antibodies which help protect the infant from infection. After the first few days, the mature breast milk contains fats and cholesterol, which are essential for the growth and development of the infant’s nervous system, eyes, and brain. It also contains micronutrients calcium and magnesium, which are beneficial to the infant’s growth (Thompson et al., 2010).
“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” Statement taken from the world health organization publication on the nutrition of exclusive breastfeeding.