Introduction
Breast milk remains the one and only natural, ample and complex nourishment for infants. It is nature's formula for safeguarding the health and quality of life for infants, as well as on through childhood to adult life. Just as importantly, breastfeeding promotes a very special bond between mother and child that only mother can provide.
The most beneficial and natural act a mother can do for her child is breastfeeding. It has been proven that through breast milk health benefits pass from mother to child. From the exclusive nutrients in mother’s milk, which have been shown to prevent a number of childhood diseases to antibodies and protect an infant at birth. With breastfeeding a mother can affect the present and future health of her baby.
However breastfeeding is often thought as unnecessary in today’s society and sometimes mothers are wrongly led to the idea that formula feeding does very well as a replacement for breast milk. They are wrong because nothing can match the assets of breast milk, no matter how many vitamins, minerals and supplements are added to what is basically a chemical formulation.
To comprehend the benefits of breastfeeding entirely, these are some of the most important, but by no mean all of the benefits of breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding benefits
Breastfeeding is known to be beneficial both in the long term and short term, to the mother and also to the child and have long been recognized and are widely broadcasted. Breastfeeding was identified as a mean to improve the child’s health and also to reduce health inequalities among mothers and children (United Kingdom Department of Health) (2004). The risks of illnesses in childhood are known to be reduced when a mother choose to breastfeed. Illnesses such as respiratory, diarrheal, atopic, and gastrointestinal are known to be reduced. Recent studies shows that breastfeeding has also a protective