The Benefits of Breastfeeding Over Bottle Feeding Essay

The audience intended for this paper are mothers that have a desire to breastfeed, employers, clinicians, breastfeeding advocacy groups and federal and state legislators involved in policy change.

Christina McvayLisa Barrick English 101 September 19, 2017 Boobs Vs. Bottles All mothers want the best for their children. Multiple studies have shown that breastfeeding should be highly considered. Although, breastfeeding and bottle feeding are both alike in few ways, the numerous benefits of breastfeeding make it the best option for many mothers. Mother’s breast milk contains over 100 components, which therefore formula milk does not compete. Breastfeeding is a better option because of the cost, convenience, and all the wonderful numerous health benefits. Breast milk contains all the germ fighting antibodies that help prevent a child from getting sick. Breast milk contains antibodies. Antibodies, are passed from the mother to the child through the breast milk and help strengthen a child’s immune system. Antibodies, fight against numerous infections, viruses, prevent chronic conditions, and much more. More importantly, breastfeeding may perhaps protect babies against sudden infant death syndrome, more commonly known as, “SIDS”. Breast feeding is very beneficial for all premature babies. Breast milk naturally contains countless vitamins that a newborn requires, which formula does not contain. Breast milk contains protein that a child can easily digest, therefore breastfed babies are usually less gassy, spit up less, and less constipated. Breast milk helps give one’s child calcium and iron a lot faster with direct intake. Also, the fats from breast milk are very essential for the health and the growth of one’s baby. Likewise, breastfeeding is very beneficial for mothers, while formula is not. Breastmilk contains 20 calories per ounce, therefore, the more one feeds their child, the more calories the mother loses and increases weight loss. What mother does not want to lose the extra calories that she just ate from her last meal? Or the extra weight she may have packed on during her pregnancy? Can bottle feeding do that? No, probably not! Breastfeeding mothers can also see a change during ovulation. The more breastfeeding mothers are feeding their babies, the more prolactin their body releases. Prolactin keeps progesterone and estrogen steady, therefore the mother’s egg is not released, which would have triggered

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.

“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).

Every year, approximately 4 million babies are born in the United States. This means that every year, approximately 8 million breasts are swollen with Mother Nature's own ambrosia, ready to start our children down the path to a healthy and well-adjusted life. Having a child is the most natural thing in the world to most women. Breast feeding is the the most healthy food for a newborn child. It prevents a wide range of illnesses as well as helps the mother feel better after birth. So why not breastfeed your new born? Although many people believe that breast feeding puts undue stress on a new mother, ultimately, as a mother, you will be responsible for every single feeding that your child experiences. Sure, it is true that you can pump the

Infant nutrition is vital for growth and development. According to a Web page posted by KidsHealth, “Breast milk contains antibodies, lactose, protein, and fat…,” which are

When you think of feeding your baby, you have two options: breast milk or formula. I’m sure when you think of breastfeeding, you think it’s hard and painful, but in

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.).

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

Breastfeeding is not only a lifestyle choice but also an important health care choice. Any amount of time that a mother can do it will help both her and the baby. Many benefits of breast milk are noted for mothers, babies, and others. Breast milk has disease-fighting cells called antibodies that help protect infants from germs, illness, and even SIDS. Infant formula cannot match the perfect chemical composition of human milk, specifically the cells, hormones, and antibodies that fight disease. The private practice of lactation

Nutritionally, breastfeeding provides specific antibodies which help to prevent infant and childhood diseases. Diseases such as RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection) and Insulin-dependent Diabetes Mellitus are serious diseases in infants which can lead to death (Riordan 1997). Breastfeeding is a natural immunization for infants and mothers, decreasing risks such as pneumonia, SIDS, and childhood obesity in infants. Mothers decrease their risk for breast cancer, type 2 diabetes and weight gain (Stuebe 2009). Just as diseases can be immune from breast milk, breastmilk also aids in brain development. In “Breastfeeding benefits babies’ brains”, Stacey states, “babies who had

A lot of these problems seen in formula feed babies are due to the fact that the particular composition of the formula doesn’t suit their digestive system. Breast milk consists of the optimum proportions of fats, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals and water. It is extremely digestible for a new-born baby because the milk is naturally refined to perfectly suit the baby’s digestive system. The milk also contains growth factors such as, epidermal growth factor (EGR) and insulin-like growth factor. The epidermal growth factor works by helping to prepare the lining of the gut to absorb the nutrients from the milk consumed. Insulin-like growth factor is believed to be one of the primary factors regulating early growth and development. Breast milk also contains essential fatty acids that are not present in most formula milk products. The two essential fatty acids present in breast milk are docosahexaenoic acid and arachidonis acid. Both of these play a vital role in optimal development of the central nervous system, intellectual and visual development in babies. Furthermore, one of the most prominent advantages associated with breast feeding over formula feeding babies is that, breast milk naturally changes composition to correspond to the stage of development of the infant. For example, colostrum is the name given to the first milk produced post-delivery. It has an abundance of white cells and antibodies, it also contains a

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