Women breastfeed babies during a mass event in Athens November 2, 2014. Hundreds of women gathered and fed babies in public to raise awareness among young mothers on the practice at the beginning of the annual World Breastfeeding Week.
IN PHOTO: Women breastfeed babies during a mass event in Athens November 2, 2014. Hundreds of women gathered and fed babies in public to raise awareness among young mothers on the practice at the beginning of the annual World Breastfeeding Week. REUTERS/Yorgos Karahalis (GREECE - Tags: POLITICS SOCIETY) TEMPLATE OUT

Breast milk is an ideal source of nutrition for an infant. Hence, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists strongly advise mothers to breastfeed their children. The National Resource Defence Council (NRDC) further states that there can be no substitute for breast milk. It has everything an infant needs and it contributes to the health of both mother and the child.

Healthier baby

According to the NRDC, breastfed children are more resistant to viruses and diseases during infancy because the milk strengthens the immune system. A study published in the journal pediatrics found that infants breastfed to up to four months from birth have a reduced risk of developing any respiratory and gastrointestinal problem. The study associated breastfeeding to reduced respiratory and gastrointestinal morbidity in infants.

The NRDC further states that children breastfed adequately are at a reduced risk of contracting other diseases later on in life. Juvenile diabetes, multiple sclerosis, heart disease, and cancer are few diseases that he or she will be at a reduced risk of developing before the age of 15.

Calorie Incinerator

Infant-nutrition expert Ruth A. Lawrence, M.D., a professor of pediatrics and OB-GYN at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in Rochester, N.Y., and the author of Breastfeeding: A Guide for the Medical Profession (Elsevier-Mosby) told Fitpregnancy.com that breastfeeding burns calories. According to WebMD, breastfeeding can help a mother burn the extra fat she put on during the pregnancy. The website also states that it benefits the mother tremendously in other ways as well. When the infant is breastfed, the hormone oxytocin is released which helps the uterus to return to its original size.

Reduces the risk of breast cancer in the mother

A study conducted by Emilio Gonzalez-Jimenez, PhD of the University of Granada in Spain, and his colleagues found that women who did not breastfeed their babies got breast cancer 10 years earlier than those who did. It was also seen that breastfeeding prevents breast cancer and protects the mother later in life. The study concluded, “Breastfeeding is a potential ally in the fight against breast tumors.”

Improves child’s IQ

Breastfed children are seen to achieve better cognitive development and better IQ. A study was conducted to check the relationship between breastfeeding and cognition. They found that breast milk contains docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which helps cognitive development and makes the child smarter. The study also found that breastfeeding the child for a longer period benefits cognitive development tremendously. The analysis they conducted revealead a relationship with breastfeeding and receptive language at age three and better verbal and nonverbal IQ at school age.

Breastfeeding benefits both the mother and child in the long term. Experts recommend that the child must be breastfed for at least six months.

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