Breast Is Best
April 02, 2015
Story at-a-glance
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People who were breastfed as infants had increased
intelligence, longer schooling, and higher earning as adults
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Babies breastfed for six months appeared to get most of the
benefits of those who had been breastfed for 12 months or
longer
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Breastfed infants have lower rates of chronic and infectious
diseases and score higher on intelligence tests
By Dr. Mercola
Breastfeeding rates continue to rise in the US. In 2011, the
most recent year for which data is available, 79 percent of
newborn infants started breastfeeding.1
This is wonderful news, as breastfeeding offers life-long health
benefits, not just for the child, but for the mother as well.
Many women do not have access to the truth about
breastfeeding and have been misled by infant-formula marketing
to believe they must spend thousands of dollars a year to
provide the best nutrition for their babies.
In reality (and barring any extreme exceptions such as certain
transmittable diseases or drug use), breast milk is the best
food for babies, period.
As reported by the World Health Organization (WHO),
breastfeeding is the “normal way” of providing infants with the
nutrients they need to grow and develop. They continue:
“Virtually all mothers can breastfeed, provided they
have accurate information, and the support of their family,
the health care system and society at large. Colostrum, the
yellowish, sticky breast milk produced at the end of
pregnancy, is recommended by WHO as the perfect food for the
newborn, and feeding should be initiated within the first
hour after birth.
Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended up to 6 months
of age, with continued breastfeeding along with appropriate
complementary foods up to two years of age or beyond.”
Breastfed Babies Grow into More Successful Adults
Proper nutrition in infancy has lasting effects on health and
well-being. A study of nearly 6,000 babies followed from birth
until they turned 30 years old found that those who were
breastfed had increased intelligence, longer schooling, and
higher earning as adults.2
Specifically, when compared to children who breastfed for
less than a month, children who were breastfed for at least 12
months grew into adults who:
- Scored close to four points higher on IQ tests
- Attended school for a year longer
- Made 15 percent more money at the age of 30
The study’s lead author, Dr. Bernardo Lessa Horta from the
Federal University of Pelotas in Brazil, noted:3
"Our study provides the first evidence that prolonged
breastfeeding not only increases intelligence until at least
the age of 30 years but also has an impact both at an
individual and societal level by improving educational
attainment and earning ability.
What is unique about this study is the fact that, in
the population we studied, breastfeeding was not more common
among highly educated, high-income women, but was evenly
distributed by social class.
Previous studies from developed countries have been
criticized for failing to disentangle the effect of
breastfeeding from that of socioeconomic advantage, but our
work addresses this issue for the first time."
In the study, the longer the children were breastfed, the
better they tended to be doing as adults. Horta mentioned that
babies breastfed for six months appeared to get most of the
benefits of those who had been breastfed longer, but suggested
“Mothers should breastfeed for as long as possible.”4
In the US, while breastfeeding rates start out strong, many
women do not continue as long as recommended. In 2011, only 49
percent of infants were still breastfeeding at six months, and
this dropped to 27 percent at 12 months.5
For comparison, in Sweden more than 98 percent of women initiate
breastfeeding at birth, and 72 percent are still breastfeeding
at six months.6
Breastfeeding Could Save 800,000 Children’s Lives Each Year
Worldwide, less than 40 percent of infants under six months
of age are exclusively breastfed. According to WHO, “If
every child was breastfed within an hour of birth, given only
breast milk for their first six months of life, and continued
breastfeeding up to the age of two years, about 800 000 child
lives would be saved every year.”
They note multiple reasons why breastfeeding is one of the
most effective ways to boost and support your child’s health,
including:7
- Breast milk contains antibodies to protect your baby
from childhood illnesses, including diarrhea and pneumonia
- Promotes sensory and cognitive development
- Lowers the risk of overweight and obesity into
adolescence and adulthood
- Lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes
- Improves performance on intelligence tests
Breastfeeding offers benefits to mom, too, including a
natural method of birth control (about 98 percent effective for
the first six months). Women who breastfeed also have a lower
risk of breast and ovarian cancer, lower rates of obesity and
return to their pre-pregnancy weight faster.
By not breastfeeding, you and your baby miss out on these
important benefits, which translates into increased risk of
diseases and corresponding medical costs. One study estimated
the increased medical costs of diseases caused by a lack of
breastfeeding infants in their first six months of life to be
$13 billion each year in the US alone. The researchers
concluded:8
“If 90% of US families could comply with medical
recommendations to breastfeed exclusively for 6 months, the
United States would save $13 billion per year and prevent an
excess 911 deaths, nearly all of which would be in infants
($10.5 billion and 741 deaths at 80% compliance).”
Studies have also shown that breastfed babies gain added
protection against:
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) |
Eczema |
Respiratory, ear, and other types of infections |
Heart disease |
Obesity |
Type
1 and type 2 diabetes |
Bowel diseases such as Crohn's disease |
Asthma and allergies |
Necrotizing enterocolitis among premature babies |
Breastfeeding Encourages Optimal Gut Health in Your Baby
Breastfeeding helps ensure that your child's gut flora
develops properly right from the start, as breast milk is loaded
both with beneficial bacteria and nutrient growth factors that
will support their continued growth. It also has powerful
components that will inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria
and yeast.
Emerging research shows that bacteria are absolutely vital
for human health, and imbalances in the human microbiome
significantly contribute to chronic non-transmissible diseases.
This is no small concern. Many diseases are directly impacted by
your microbiome, which is why it's so important to
address your baby's gut health both during pregnancy and
from birth.
Researchers are also starting to understand how a child's
microbiome can play a role in autism. As noted by Scientific
American:9
"Scientists have long wondered whether the
composition of bacteria in the intestines, known as the gut
microbiome, might be abnormal in people with autism and
drive some of these symptoms. Now a spate of new studies10
supports this notion and suggests that restoring proper
microbial balance could alleviate some of the disorder's
behavioral symptoms."
Indeed, this is precisely what Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride
surmised when she created the
Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS) Nutritional Program,
which is designed to heal leaky gut by restoring the integrity
of your gut lining. According to Dr. Campbell-McBride, in
children with GAPS, toxicity flows from their gut throughout
their bodies and into their brains. This continually challenges
their nervous system, preventing it from performing its normal
functions and process sensory information. One of the most
important foundational elements of building a healthy
gastrointestinal system for your child is to first eat a
healthy, probiotic-rich diet while you're pregnant, and then
breastfeed after your child is born.
Do You Need Help Breastfeeding?
As the benefits of breastfeeding are beginning to be more
widely recognized, at least in the US, there has been a growing
stigma against moms who formula-feed their babies. If you’re a
formula-feeding mom, please don’t feel attacked or judged! The
information I’ve compiled here is meant to empower
women with the information they need to make healthy choices.
There are certain medical conditions that can prevent a woman
from breastfeeding, however the majority of women are able to
produce adequate supplies of milk and breastfeed successfully.
Often, those who believe they cannot may be misinformed, and
believe they don't have enough milk; this is a common
misperception. However, in the vast majority of circumstances,
all women have enough milk to breastfeed. The more the baby
nurses, the more milk you will produce! Mom needs to drink
plenty of water and seek optimal nutrition while nursing. The
beginning weeks and months are critical in the process. As the
La Leche League states:11
"Some mothers need to know that they will be able to
breastfeed their babies in less than ideal or special
circumstances. For example, many mothers have been
able to provide their own milk for their premature or ill
babies. Many mothers also continue to breastfeed after
returning to work and, in most cases, provide sufficient
milk.
In other cases, because of lack of knowledge or a
poor start, a mother may be in a situation where her body is
not producing enough milk. Increasing frequency of nursing,
making sure the baby is latched on correctly, and offering
both breasts at each feeding are some of the proven
techniques that help most nursing mothers increase their
supply."
You should begin nursing as soon after birth as possible, as
your baby's sucking instinct will be very strong at that time,
giving you the best chance of success. In the beginning, the
milk that is produced is called colostrum -- a thick,
golden-yellow fluid that is very gentle for your baby's stomach
and full of beneficial antibodies. As your baby continues to
nurse, your milk will gradually change in color and consistency
from thick and yellow, to thinner with a bluish-white hue.
Newborns need to nurse at least once every two hours, for
about 15 minutes or so on each side, but most do not adhere to
any kind of strict schedule and feedings can vary in length. It
is this frequent nursing that stimulates your breasts to produce
increasing amounts of milk to keep up with demand. You may want
to begin planning for successful breastfeeding before your baby
is even born by taking a breastfeeding class while you're
pregnant. La Leche League is a terrific resource to contact for
help whether you want to prepare beforehand or find you're
having trouble breastfeeding once your baby is born. But even
many hospitals offer breastfeeding classes and lactation
consultants who can help you.
Are There Healthy Alternatives to Breast Milk?
If you are a woman who is unable to breastfeed, or you have
adopted your newborn, you may want to consider using
donated breast milk. Unfortunately, there is a major
downside to using breast milk from human milk banks that are now
available in the US. The milk has been pasteurized, which means
many of the essential immune-building elements will be decimated
in the pasteurization process and your infant will fail to
receive this crucial support when they need it the most.
So while human milk banks are a fantastic idea, the sad
reality is that milk obtained from them -- assuming it is
pasteurized, as is standard process at most milk banks -- is far
inferior to breast milk that is unpasteurized. An alternative
option to obtain unpasteurized breast milk straight from a donor
may be to work with a physician or pediatrician who will work
with you to find a safe milk donor, and will be involved in a
screening process to ensure the milk is safe. If you're unable
to breastfeed or find a safe source of breast milk,
please steer clear of commercial infant formulas as much as
possible and definitely
avoid all soy infant formula, as it is loaded with toxic
elements like high doses of manganese and aluminum.
It is among the worst commercial food you could give your
baby. It is likely that at some point in the future when all the
health complications are fully appreciated, it will be removed
from the market and banned. However, even milk-based infant
formulas have been found to be
contaminated with chemical additives (including some that
are “organic!”). The next best alternative to breast milk is to
make a healthy homemade infant formula. There may be others, but
here is one
recipe for homemade formula created by the Weston Price
Foundation, which I believe is sound.
Copyright 1997- 2015 Dr. Joseph Mercola. All Rights Reserved.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/04/02/breastfeeding-benefits.aspx
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