The Advantages of Breast Feeding

Lactation is a physiological function with two processes:
-milk secretion
-milk letdown.
Each of them controlled by a special hormone of the posterior pituitary.

The breast feeding must be started very early after delivery,once general condition of mother is satisfactory (usually within hours).
Putting the newborn so early to breast has this advantages:
-stimulates milk secretion and emptying the breast
-allows suckling of colostrum that has an anti-infection value
-early mother-baby bonding.
The baby must be given sufficient time for suckling.Mother must be at confort and physiologicaly relaxed to help the letdown the milk.

The advantages of bret-feeding:
Advantages exist for both baby and mother.

ADVANTAGES TO BABY: nutritional and non-nutritional:anti-infection.
Human milk composition:protein,fat,lactose,water,energy,calcium,phosphoras,iron,vitamin a,vitamin D,vitamin C,thiamine,ribolavin,niacin.

1.Nutritional advantage:
Do to better quality (composition) of breat milk.Except for deficient iron and vitamin D that can be supplemented.Breast milk is of suitable composition and properties for optimal growth and development.It is readily digestible and satisfies needs of infant in the first months.
Milk is balanced to fulfil requirements of physiological functioning and health promotion if is given in adequate quantity.

2.Non-nutritional advantages:

• Anti-infectional value:

Incidence of infection,specially the diarrhoeal and respiratory is sinificantly lower in the breast-fed rather that the bottle-fed.The breats milk have the fallowing anti-infection properties:
-immunoglobulin,specially in colostrum
-lysozyme (antibacterial).

• Convenient feeding:

The baby can be nursed at any time.Breast milk is fresh and need no preparation and is usually sterile.

• Psychological value:

Breast feeding allows intimate motehr baby contact,that is emotionally valuble for both.

ADVANTAGES TO MOTHER:

1.Postpartum value:suckeling stimulates secretion of oxytocin that causes contraction of uterus,this helps limiting the risk of postpartum bleeding,and enhances involution of uterus.
2.Lower risk of breat cancer
3.Psychological (emotional0 value.
4.Fertility regulation: exclusive breast feeding suppresses ovarian activity and postpartum ovulation and is thus associated with lactational anovulation and amenorrhoea.
Contraceptive effect of breast feeding however needs special pattern that may be partically difficult to fulfil:feeds must be frequent by day and night,for sufficient time on the two breats each feed.