Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is meaningful to me because as a mother and an early childhood professional I see the benefits in my child, myself, and children I work with and have worked with in the past.  Breastfeeding helps infants fight disease and is easier to digest for them in comparison to formal.  Breastfeeding is also beneficial to mothers because it gives them the opportunity to bond and attach with their infant during feedings.  In addition, breastfeeding is more cost effective than formula and mothers who breast feed tend to miss less work in comparison to mothers who use formal due to children’s immunity being able to fight other diseases or illness. ‘’ The nation benefits overall when mothers breastfeed. Recent research shows that if 90 percent of families breastfed exclusively for 6 months, nearly 1,000 deaths among infants could be prevented. The United States would also save $13 billion per year — medical care costs are lower for fully breastfed infants than never-breastfed infants. Breastfed infants typically need fewer sick care visits, prescriptions, and hospitalizations’’ (‘’Breastfeeding’’, 2011).

‘’In Africa, more than 95% of infants are currently breastfed, but feeding practices are often inadequate: feeding water, and other liquids, to breastfed infants is a widespread practice’’ (Sante, 2002). In addition, prolonged breastfeeding is common.  For instance, the average length of time for breastfeeding ranges between 16 and 28 months. The importance of breastfeeding as a food resource of African countries is generally not recognized due to the AIDS epidemic that could threaten breastfeeding because the virus can be transmitted during breastfeeding. ‘’A study suggests that feeding breastmilk and other liquids to infants could be the feeding mode associated with the highest rate of transmission. To prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV, WHO recommends replacement feeding if it is feasible and safe. Otherwise, mothers are encouraged to practice exclusive breastfeeding for the first months of life followed by early and rapid weaning’’ (Sante, 2002).  However, there are concerns about rapid weaning between 4 and 6 months due to concerns about the negative impact it may have on infants.   

This information I have obtained about breastfeeding will be beneficial to my career working with children and families because I can share the information with other mothers who may not be aware of the benefits to breastfeeding.  In addition, I can share this information with other colleagues who will then share information with children and families they work with. 

Reference

Breastfeeding. ( 2011, August 14). Retrieved from http://www.womenshealth.gov/breastfeeding/why-breastfeeding-is-important/

Sante. (2002). Breastfeeding in africa: will positive trends be challenged by the aids epidemic. National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11943640