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breastfeeding benefits to mother and baby essay
compare breast and bottle feeding
compare breast and bottle feeding
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During the span of one year in the United States about four million babies are born. The average age for a mom in the United States is 25 years old. First time moms have many questions and decisions to make regarding the methods of feeding and the nutrients their child will be receiving. “In the United States and worldwide, more than 90 percent of infants are breast-fed, but only 36 percent are exclusively breast-fed for the first six months” (Berger et al., 2011). It’s the parent’s choice whether to formula-feed or breast-feed their child, and the parents have many questions as for which method is best. For instance, should I breast-feed my child or formula-feed my child and for how long? Is my child getting enough milk and nutritional value? Then, probably the most commonly asked questions, what are the benefits and drawbacks for breast-feeding versus formula-fed babies? Breast-feeding and formula-feeding each have benefits and drawbacks, but again it’s the parent’s choice to decide what they consider to be best for them and their child.
“Ideally, nutrition starts with colostrum, a thick high-calorie fluid secreted by the mother’s breast at birth” (Drover et al., 2009). Three days later the mother begins producing breast milk. Breast milk has numerous benefits. Breast milk, unlike formula based from cow’s milk, is naturally sterile. That means the milk from the breast is always at room temperature. Breast milk is also rich in nutrients, such as iron and a variety of vitamins. “Babies who are exclusively breast-fed are less often sick” (Berger et al., 2011). Every parent wants their children to be healthy. Many studies show that breast-feeding is healthier for your child and the parent, and it makes your child’s future school ...
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...d receive if they were being breast-fed. The baby therefore may not prosper as much a breast-fed baby might.
Babies require a considerable amount of physical, mental, and emotional care. They can stress you out, make you feel like you’re losing your mind, feel like nothing is going right, or give you unbelievable bliss. However, your child requires certain daily nutrients. Everyone wants their child to be happy and healthy. Whether you choose breast-feeding or formula-feeding, both options can be effective ways for the baby to thrive. I have stated the pros and cons for each method, but ultimately it’s the parent’s choice to determine what is best for them and their baby. They’ll weigh the advantages, disadvantages, conveniences and inconveniences, and then make their choice. When your baby cries out hungrily, “Got milk?” what will you choose to give them?
When mothers give birth, they have a decision to make. New mothers must decide whether to breastfeed or to formula feed. Breastfeeding has many benefits for both the mother and baby. Some mothers may not have the choice to breastfeed, so they choose to formula feed. Breastfeeding or bottle-feeding has been a big issue throughout modern time, with new mothers debating which one is better. Breastfeeding is best for the growth and development of a baby.
What is better for infants under two years of age; breast-feeding or formula feeding? How does each affect the child’s health outcome? These are questions many new parents or soon-to-be parents ask. There are benefits to both breastfeeding and formula feeding, but with benefits, there are also risks to each type of feeding. Picking which type of feeding to provide a child is significant because a child grows significantly within the first two years of life. Within these first two years, a child needs the proper amount of adequate nutrition to grow and develop. It is important to determine which feeding is better for infants to help them in this vulnerable stage of life. Do infants who breastfeed have better health outcomes in the first two years of life than
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.
Nutrition and breastfeeding are subjects that can relate greatly to each other. New mothers are in a need of information regarding breastfeeding. Mothers receive the information and instructions on how to breastfeed at the hospital where they bear their children. That information is essential in the decision making process of whether to breastfeed or not. Still the clear choice for mothers everywhere is breastfeeding for several important life affecting reasons. Breast milk is highly nutritional, protects from various diseases, ideal in growth, promotes bonding, and is beneficial for the mother in a recovery process after labor.
“Commercially prepared infant formulas are a nourishing alternative to breast milk, and even contains vitamins and nutrients that breastfed infants need to get from supplements (Pearl, E., 2015). Breastfeeding is proven to strengthen the immune system for children of all ages. While a mother nurses the infant, the mother passes down nutrients and antibodies from the milk the babies drink while nursing. Like immunizations building invulnerabilities for people destructive illnesses, breast milk gives additional antibodies to infants to help them. Nursing sessions are less demanding to retain and process the formula since it contains living development elements, hormones, and chemicals which help an infant to effectively process all healthy intake from each feeding (The Office on Women’s Health, 2012). Further, in creating nations, scientists found that for newborn children who were not breastfed have danger of dying from irresistible infections, in the primary month is six times more prominent than babies who were breastfed (Chen and Rogan, 2004). Children that are breastfed have less problems with digestive systems due to the breast milk, a standout amongst the most essential advantages of breast milk is the containing living parts, for example, contamination battling antibodies, white platelets, red platelets, and hostile to viral components (Taylor, 2013). All which are essential to the growth of a newborn's digestive system that formula does not
Not only is breastfeeding your child less expensive than formula, it is also the most beneficial method for them. The mother’s breast milk is the healthiest form of milk for all babies (Begum 27).
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 truth it is not. It is easier and more beneficial than formula in many ways. Let’s first consider the cost. One very important thing for any mother to consider is finances. After all, your little bundle of joy is going to take a lot of money to raise till 18. Statistics show that breastfeeding in the first year can save you anywhere between 1,500 to 3,000 dollars on formula. That’s one semester at a community college! A recent study by the USDA concluded that 3.6 billion dollars in medical costs could be saved if the current rate of children exclusively breastfed was raised to the recommendations of the Surgeon General. This study is a bare minimum of what could be saved. It is assumed that the actual savings is a lot higher since this study only conducted reports on 3 childhood illnesses. Since breastfeeding provides your baby with immune protection, you could potentially save thousands on medical bills, and you cannot forget all the over the counter meds you could spare.
By remaining exclusive to human milk, the premature infant has an increase in benefits and outcomes. This change in recommendation is due to the benefits of human milk which include “decreased rates of late-onset of sepsis, necrotizing enterocolitis, retinopathy, sudden infant death syndrome, fewer re-hospitalizations in the first year of life, and improved neurodevelopmental outcomes.” (Underwood, M. A.). Due to an underdeveloped gastrointestinal tract, it is shown that preterm infants require smaller amounts of human milk than a full-term baby. It is crucial to teach mothers of preterm infants, that the colostrum or milk they produce is sufficient. If the mother does not produce enough milk, she should be directed to a donor human milk bank or talk to a lactation consultant. Nevertheless, it is crucial nurses emphasize the importance of reducing formula feeding and implement exclusive
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 choice to engage in breast feeding.
Breast feeding is a natural phenomenon and has numerous benefits to both baby and mother associated with it. The world health organisation recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life. Suckling is an instinctive nature of all mammalian and provides their offspring with a pure, wholesome, nutritional food. Therefore, mothers and babies are genetically designed to gain from this natural process. Studies in humans have demonstrated that breast feeding of babies for even their first 3 months, can induce favourable health repercussions for many years after. However, the benefits are not just for the baby, breast feeding has also been shown to exhibit many beneficial effects both transient and sustained in the mother too.
mother’s milk. It a practice that has been passed down from generation to generation since the beginning of our existence. It has proven to be an efficient and healthy way to feed newborns. Several research have shown numerous benefits of breastfeeding. For example, when it comes to the comparison of breast milk and formula milk, studies have shown that formula milk can be harder for babies to digest. This is due to the fact that formula milk is created from cows and babies, stomachs have a hard time digesting and adjusting to it. In addition, the overall quality of formula milk lack the critical nutritions such as antibodies, which breast milk provides to help fight of infections and prevent diseases. As a result, the benefits of
Breastfeeding rates are continually increasing. The nutritional benefit of breast over formula is a long established fact. “According to the latest numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, breastfeeding rates improved nationwide in 2000-2008, and some of the greatest improvement was among black women. However, only about 59 percent of black mothers breastfed in 2008, compared to 80 percent of Hispanic mothers and about 75 percent of white mothers. For 2008 rates of breastfeeding at a baby’s first birthday, the number was about 23 percent overall but only 12.5 percent for black mothers. That low rate still marks a near doubling of rates among black mothers compared to the year 2000” (Currie, 2013).It is the recommended method of feeding an infant for at least the first six months of life. Breastfeeding has benefits to both mothers and their babies. The baby receives immunity to protect it from disease. Financially, breastfeeding can significantly reduce the burden of having a new child. Many mothers initiate breastfeeding in the hospital; however, the number of women who breastfeed until six months is very low (Guyer, Millward, & Berger, 2012). Breastfeeding is highly favored over bottle feeding. Yet, mothers still do not choose to continually breastfeed their infants. Do mothers who breastfeed during hospitalization have limitations or no desire to continue versus mothers who breastfeed for the recommended six months or longer at home?
Is there any food on earth that can provide the PERFECT nutrition to a human? Yes, and it is breast milk. Breast milk is the perfect nutrition. This superior food contains hormones, live antibacterial and antiviral cells and essential fatty acids (What Makes Human Milk Special?, Mar-Apr 2006). All of which are helpful in protecting against any harm. Sicknesses in infants are lowered by the help that breast milk gives. Breastfed children are sick less often than children who aren’t breastfed (What Makes Human Milk Special?, Mar-Apr 2006). Breast milk contains all the nutrients that an infant needs as it continues to grow. When the child is brought into the world it has no way to fight off any d...
Those who are able to do so are proud to tell you how they are glad to not have to use formula. Yet, if you asked her if she would drink it herself, she would probably “no way!” Yet, this article expresses a lesser known and curious prospective.; it opens the door for the question, of: “Is human breast milk as an acceptable food for adults?” It (what?) features a well known New York ...
With the arrival of a newborn, parents are immediately faced with myriad of decisions. Should they use cloth or store-bought diapers, co-sleeping or a crib, and what parent gets what shift during the night are just a few. However, one of the most important and more personal choices is between a formula based diet or breastfeeding for their baby to receive his or her required nourishment. It has been proven time and time again that the benefits of breast milk over formula are numerous: they include health, emotional, mental, and financial benefits with the convenience of non-preparation. Breastfeeding is not only the most natural way to provide nutrition for a baby it’s also the most complete way. These benefits do not only benefit the baby, but they benefit the mother as well.