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Breast is Best Fact Sheet
Benefits for the Child
- Breastfed babies:
- get sick less often and get illnesses that are less severe
- are hospitalized less often and have a lower rate of mortality
- have a lower risk of diarrheal disease
- have a lower incidence of gastrointestinal illness
- have a lower risk of urinary tract infections
- have a lower incidence of respiratory disease
- have a lower incidence of otitis media (ear infections)
- have a lower incidence of allergies
- have lower rates of obesity
- have a lower incidence of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
- have fewer learning and behavior difficulties
- have a lower rate of pneumonia, neonatal sepsis, and giardia
Breastfeeding:
- helps bond mother and child
- confers passive immunity
- is protective against measles and other communicable diseases
- provides optimal growth and neurological development
- prevents malocclusion/leads to better teeth/jaw development
- protects against hypothermia
- provides partial protection against necrotising enterocolitis
- provides major protection against bacteremia and meningitis
- reduces the incidence of childhood lymphoma
- enhances visual development
- provides protection against neonatal sepsis
- is less risky for premature babies and low birth weight babies
Artificially fed babies:
- have an increased risk factor for juvenile diabetes
- may have impaired antibody response to vaccines
- premature infants experience apnea & bradycardia more
- frequently
- have a higher risk of inflammatory illness
- have a higher risk of celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative
- colitis, cholera, and neonatal hypocalcemic tetany
Benefits for the Mother
Breastfeeding:
- bonds mother and child
- provides the mother with a hormone-induced contentment
- encourages efficient uterine contractions after childbirth
- allows mothers to lose pregnancy weight and size faster
- is convenient (the milk is pre-warmed, clean and always available)
- is cost-effective and saves families money
- contributes to natural family planning
- contributes to household food security
- fosters confidence and promotes self-esteem
- reduces the incidence of urinary tract infections
- is protective against cancer (breast, ovarian, cervical)
- lowers the incidence of chronic hepatitis
- reduces the risk of osteoporosis
- reduces the requirements of insulin for lactating diabetic mothers
Benefits for the community
Breastfeeding:
- results in decreased environmental waste
- frees up health resources
- saves money for hospitals and health clinics
- may decrease spending on imports
UNICEF estimates that 1.5 million babies die each year worldwide — because they are not breastfed …
There is no cheaper or more effective way of improving maternal and infant health and lowering fertility than the promotion of breastfeeding …
©1995 Milk, Money, and Madness: The Culture and Politics of Breastfeeding