“When breastfeeding is not exclusively practiced, infant formulas are generally used. The World Health Organization International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk that parents be fully informed about the health hazards of unnecessary or improper use of infant formula”(2).
In recent years, countless Americans have stopped drinking milk since technology and innovations in the dairy industry have caused cow’s milk to become more unhealthy, less ethical, and has shown, that cow’s milk is unnatural for humans to consume. As countless Americans focus on their diets and healthy eating they have noticed and realized that milk isn’t as healthy as they were once told by Ads such as “Got milk?” which over 300 famous celebrities made ads for, because executives at MilkPEP told times magazine that they created these ads since milk was “boring”, they also stated that “Milk is not a very high-interest item in people’s lives. It’s a staple,” Jeff Goodby stated, co-chairman of Goodby, Silverstein, and Partners (Tracy Miller).
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.
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).
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
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 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.).
One of the biggest decisions for a new mom is whether or not she will breast feed her newborn. This decision will not only impact the mother but it will also have many great affects on the baby. In the media we only see advertisements about formula which costs more money and is artificial. Why is it that the most natural source of food for our baby’s does not have the same kind of attention, if not more? Nurses need to help spread the awareness of the major differences between formula and breastfeeding to help higher the rates of breastfeeding, The purpose of this paper is to discuss how nurses can help to promote healthy breastfeeding to postpartum moms through three main roles which are, providing research that confirms the benefits of breastfeeding,
Breast-feeding vs. bottle feeding is a very important decision for new parents as well as a very hot topic of debate for most heath oriented communities. Most health, family and infant related communities and services such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Medical Association, the World Health Organization, etc. support and promote breast-feeding infants. Their suggestion urges mothers to at least breastfeed for the first few days after giving birth even if they decide to bottle feed their infant(s), so that the infant(s) can get the health benefits from the mother 's milk and also so that the mother can alleviate some of the pressure in her breasts from the milk production. Cost wise breast-feeding is more cost efficient
Breast milk is best for infants. It reduces the risk for SIDS, which affects approximately 3,500 infants in the United States every year (“Sudden Unexpected Infant”). Babies, especially newborns are very fragile and they can get sick very easily and sometimes a small cold can result in hospitalization, but these odds can be reduced by breastfeeding because babies who are breastfed don 't get sick as often as those who are formula fed. Breast milk can prevent allergies, eczema, ear infections, and stomach problems (Adler). Breast milk also changes to suit a baby’s needs, for instance, it can provide antibodies to prevent an infant from getting sick and alter its
Breast milk is naturally the first nourishment for infants. Years ago, formula was not an option for nourishment and women with breast milk would sometimes feed other children whose mother’s did not produce milk. Studies have also shown that breastfeeding creates a bond between the mother and child due to the hormone secretion. Breastfeeding as a lifestyle choice, it is crucial in low-income countries. Many families are forced to breastfeed because of financial
Breastfeeding is a unique act done among mammals. Breastfeeding can save many lives and also save people plenty of dollars. According to a 2001 study, $3.6 billion could be saved if breastfeeding rates were increased to levels of the Healthy People objectives [3]. Breastfeeding in humans has a high failure rate in dealing with success [1]. The percentage of infants experiencing suboptimal or not the best quality breastfeeding is somewhere between 12.8% and 44% [1]. The World Health Organization has declared that in order to attain the greatest level of growth, development, and health, babies should be exclusively breastfed for at least the first 6 months of their lives [1]. Some studies have reported greater degrees of protection with more
Calling all mothers! With the “breast is best” campaign capturing the public’s attention, perhaps you have been curious about the credibility of such a claim. Not only does breastfeeding serve as an excellent bonding experience for both mother and baby, but years of research have uncovered numerous reasons why breastmilk is the ultimate source of nutrition for your budding bundle of joy. Because breastmilk provides the perfect blend of nutrients to support infant growth and also contains disease-fighting compounds that protect little ones from infections, the World Health Organization recommends that mothers exclusively breastfeed babies for the first six months of life and continue to breastfeed even after introducing solid foods into their
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
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