Breastfeeding v Formula Essay examples

Studies have shown that breastfeeding has numerous benefits for mother and baby, including reducing the risk of common childhood infections. The protective antibodies found in breast milk helps to combat common infections that often leads to missed days from work and translates into lost productivity. In addition, breastfeeding has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of obesity in breastfed children verse children that were not breastfed. Breastfeeding also helps to

should WIC offer any formula at all to its clients when breast milk is free, and it is known to be

Breast milk is the best food for your baby. The advantages of breastfeeding for your newborn are many.

Since the beginning of time women have breast fed their infants. Although modern science has developed infant formula, doctors and nurses still recommend women feed their infants breast milk. Breastfeeding increases bonding time between mother and baby and decreases cancer in women. It is hypothesized that breast milk significantly improves babies health and cognitive functioning. Breast feeding is frequently researched and there are multiple sources that cite its benefits.

Women in this world have a right to bear children and take care of them. As a new parent, there are millions of questions, worries, and decisions one deals with throughout the whole child's life. When a child is first born, a mother has to decide whether or not to breastfeed or formula feed. The nutrition a baby receives in the first months of life is what determines if the baby has a good or bad start. Women should breastfeed their children because breastfeeding boosts chances of success for their child, allows their baby to receive natural immunity from antibodies, mothers are less likely to develop diseases such as cancers or diabetes, and breastfeeding stimulates oxytocin to promote bonding between mother and child. Breastfeeding is the best choice for a baby.

Very few experts disagree with the fact that breastfeeding is the optimal choice for the infant. However, decreasing breastfeeding rates raise many questions as to why mothers are not choosing the best nutritional choice for their children. Despite breast milk being the obvious choice for infant feeding due to the health, psychological, and economic benefits, many mothers still decide to feed their infants formula due to lack of knowledge and support, difficulties with breastfeeding, and social embarrassment. Changes need to be made with formula companies, medical professionals, and the public opinion of breastfeeding in order to give nursing mothers the support they deserve.

The benefits outweigh the negative aspects of breast feeding your child. Breastfeeding is best for the mother and the child. It creates a lasting bond between mother and child. It also helps save you hundreds of dollars in the first year alone. It is also good for the environment, due to the fact that there is no waste product. Four million babies a year ready to start a happy, healthy, well adjusted life. That is a lot of mouths to feed it you have to pay for formula. So why not breast feed your new born child it is free and is what is best for the baby.

In fact, it’s free. Components such as nursing pads, nursing bras, and breast pumps are not necessities and are completely optional. Therefore, no materials are required. Moms who choose not to obtain these particular items will save hundreds, (even thousands) of dollars each year. Nevertheless, formula feeding is highway robbery. Formula feeding requires materials such as bottles, nipples, and sterilizing bags which are fundamental in order to ensure that such materials are aseptic for the baby. KidsHealth voices that, “During the first year of life, the cost of basic formula can run about $1,500.00,” depending on the brand of formula (KidsHealth). Who wouldn’t mind having an extra $1,500.00 in their bank account? If that wasn’t enough, the United States Department of Agriculture states that “A minimum of $3.6 billion would be saved if breastfeeding were increased from current levels (64 percent in-hospital, 29 percent at 6 months) to those recommended by the U.S. Surgeon General (75 and 50 percent)” (USDA). Aware that breastfed infants are collecting antibodies and other healthy nutrients so they are less likely to become sick, formula fed infants are at jeopardy for developing illnesses. Frequent cases of illnesses can lead to recurring doctor visits. Moreover, [recurring doctor visits can lead to an abundance of co-pays and prescriptions] (KidsHealth). As a result, moms pay more when they formula feed.

Breastfeeding provides unique nutrients for the baby, protects from disease, has health benefits for the mother, and provides a unique bond between mother and baby.

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

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

From the moment that a child is born, the parents need to make difficult decisions, but the one choice that should be clear is to breastfeed. The controversy issue between breastfeeding and formula feeding is causing parents to question themselves and really have to decide what the best choice is for the child. Breastfeeding has been shown to be superior over formula feeding for many reasons. Breastfeeding is the preferred choice physically, nutritionally and economically for the mother and child.

Throughout most of human history, breast milk has been the one food that infants have thrived on. Breastfeeding is recognized throughout the world as the preferred method of feeding infants due to its health benefits and nutritional quality. Recommendations by leading health organizations echo the importance of breastfeeding by setting forth guidelines.

The benefits listed above that affect a baby/toddler, up to two years old, physically include the lowered risk for ear infections, Sudden Infant Death syndrome, asthma and eczema, and a stronger immune system. Regarding middle ear infections, there was a study that compared infants that were only fed formula and infants breastfed only. The results showed that those who were formula-fed experienced a greater risk of about 70% for developing an ear infection (Scariati et al., 1997). SIDS is one of the more worrisome risks to watch out for with a new baby because it is still not completely understood how it occurs. With results supporting breast milk’s part in reducing the risk for SIDS, a case study looked into sixty-three unexpected infant deaths and separated them into one of three categories; nineteen infants suffered from SIDS,

There are many misconceptions today about feeding formula to babies and it being equal to breastfeeding. Breast milk is complex and species-specific; it targets growth and development of infants and provides disease protection. Both breast milk and formulas contain similar nutrients, but formulas are not an exact copy of breast milk. Formula may maintain growth and development, but it doesn’t contain hormones, live cells, immunologic agents, or enzymes, all of which are contained in breast milk. Breast milk contains four-hundred nutrients that cannot be recreated in a laboratory. Formula compositions don’t change to meet the infant’s changing needs. Although many formulas are similar to breast milk, they have drastic differences in