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Why breast
feeding is best?
Nursing provides many health benefits for children and
mothers alike.
Proven benefits
for babies:
Breast milk contains just the
right balance proportion of nutrients for the baby.
It provides exactly
as much energy, protein, vitamins, minerals, and fat as newborn
needs to grow.
Breast milk contains antibodies
to help baby resist certain infections.
Antibodies in breast milk
boost baby's immunity against ear infections, respiratory
infections
such as pneumonia, and digestive infections such as
diarrhea and constipation.
Breast milk also reduces a baby's
risk of developing allergies, tooth decay, high blood
pressure
and obesity later in life, although how this protection works
is unknown.
Breast milk is easier to digest
than commercial formula.
The nutrients in breast milk are more
absorbable than those in formula.
Also enzyme present in breast milk helps babies process nutrients more efficiently.
Breast-fed babies have a digestive
advantage over formula-fed babies.
Proven
benefits for mothers:
Breast-feeding helps lose weight.
It will assist mother in burning the extra fat that she
stored
during her pregnancy and ease return to your pre-pregnancy
weight.
Breast-feeding lowers risk of
certain cancers. Rates of ovarian cancer, and in
pre-
menopausal women, breast cancer, are lower in women who
have breast-fed.
Breast-feeding strengthens bones.
Breast-feeding builds bone strength and protects
against
osteoporosis.
Breast-feeding promotes bonding
between mother and baby. It creates intimacy and
closeness
with baby, which can be extremely rewarding for both mother
& baby.
Breast-feeding has some other practical
advantages too, including:
It is less expensive and more
convenient than bottle-feeding.
Breast milk is available
anytime, anywhere, so feeding baby at the first signs of
hunger is convenient.
Pediatricians and other infant-development experts
believe that breast milk is
the optimal form of infant
nutrition and recommend exclusive breast-feeding for the
first six months. Gradual introduction of iron-enriched solids in
the second half of the
first year should complement the breast
milk diet. Ideally, continue breast-feeding for
at
least 12 months.
No infant formula can match all of the nutritional
benefits of a mother's milk.
Watch what you eat. If you suspect that your baby is
intolerant of something in your
diet because he or she
develops a rash or diarrhea every time you eat a particular
food, eliminate the suspected food for a while
and take note of your baby's response.
If you are a
vegetarian, a careful balance of nutritional intake is
important for you and
your baby.
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