Saturday, March 21, 2020
Breast Feeding Essays
Breast Feeding Essays Breast Feeding Paper Breast Feeding Paper The first decision a new mother has to make is how to feed her newborn. Although many professional groups support breastfeeding as the best choice for babies, deciding to breastfeed or bottle-feed a baby is usually based on a mother’s comfort level as well as her standard of living. Because of medical or other reasons, even though breast milk is the ideal food for infants, many mothers still opt for formula feeding. Infant formulas have been developed to duplicate human milk but there are no formulas that are an exact replacement for human milk. ADVANTAGES OF BREAST FEEDING: Breast milk is best for babies. The American Association of Pediatrics (AAP) and other medical groups have always been urging mothers to breast feed their babies. Human infants deserve human milk and it meets all the required nutrients needed by infants. A baby will triple his or her weight during the first year of life, and a vast majority will come from the milk they drink.  ·Ã‚        Breast milk has numerous nutritional advantages. The amount of amino acids, sugars, vitamins, and lactose are just right for the digestion, growth and development of the baby. It is often called the â€Å"perfect food†for the baby’s digestive system. Its components are just right for the baby’s immature system.  ·Ã‚        Breast feeding is economical. It is the least expensive way to feed an infant. Although the mother has to eat nutritious food and continue to take vitamins, it is still inexpensive compared to buying formula milk. Mothers can save money and still provide the best nourishment for her baby.  ·Ã‚        Nursing helps most mothers lose weight after delivery, as more calories are used by breastfeeding each day.  ·Ã‚        Emotionally, nursing mothers experience an extra closeness with her baby. Nursing can have psychological benefits for the infant. The baby enjoys a sense of security from the warmth and presence of the mother, and the skin-to-skin contact creates a different kind of bonding between the mother and the infant.  ·Ã‚        Breast feeding is readily available for the baby at any hour of the day and night. Even if the mother is resting or sleeping, there is no need to get up, measure and mix drinks. There is also no bottle to sterilize.  ·Ã‚        Although not very reliable, nursing prevents early ovulation in nursing mothers, making it less likely for the mother to menstruate, ovulate, and get pregnant.  ·Ã‚        Working mothers can still give the best nutrients for their baby by using a breast pump to collect breast milk and placed in bottles to be given to their babies when they get hungry. LIMITATIONS;  ·Ã‚        A mother’s nipples may get sore or cracked in the first few weeks and can be painful, especially when the breasts are full of milk.  ·Ã‚        Nursing the baby will affect the mother’s lifestyle. She should wear clothes that will enable her to breastfeed at any time of the day. Others may express concern at having to feed their babies in public.  ·Ã‚        Since breast milk is easily digested, the babies are always in constant demand for milk. Some mothers feel tied down by the frequent demands. WHEN FORMULA MILK IS NECESSARY Formula milk is necessary when mothers are afflicted with viruses such as HIV, herpes and Hepatitis and other infections that can be transmitted through breast milk. Common illnesses like colds, cough, flu, and skin infections can not be transmitted. In fact, breast milk contains antibodies that will protect the baby from those same illnesses. Given the facts stated above, one would recommend to any mothers the use of breast feeding to their babies. The advantages outweigh the disadvantages and the limitations are manageable. THE ABILITY OF CHILDREN WHO WERE BREAST FED TO FIGHT INFECTIONS: A survey was designed using 100 children, ranging from 2 years old and below. Of these, 50 children were breast fed for 6-12 months and 50 children were formula fed. Interviews were done on mothers of these 100 babies. Their health records, their height and weight charts from the time they were born were also studied. Upon completion of the survey, it was concluded that most of the babies who were breast fed were brought to their pediatrician only for vaccinations, minor colds and flu. While those who were formula fed have frequent visits to their pediatrician. In front of a group of expectant mothers, convincing them would be the primary goal. These data will be presented to them and it will prove that those babies who were breast fed have higher antibody levels than those who were formula fed. They have higher resistance and lower rate of illness. REFERENCE Williams, R.D. (1995, October). Breast-feeding best bet for babies. FDA Consumer Magazine. fda.gov/fdac/features/895_brstfeed.html Accessed 20February 2008.
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