Prevent Diseases While Breastfeeding

You can positively influence your baby's immune system with your breastfeeding to help your baby prevent diseases. This benefit occurs when the baby has been breastfed for a prolonged period of time...

You can positively influence your baby’s immune system with your breastfeeding to help your baby prevent diseases. This benefit occurs when the baby has been breastfed for a prolonged period of time and the benefit lasts a lifetime. The results of this breastfeeding benefit can be measured.

Breastfed babies can avoid cardiopulmonary disturbances, including prolonged airway closure and obstructed respiratory breaths that occur while being bottle-fed. Bottle fed babies are at risk for these cardiopulmonary disturbances because of the repeated swallowing necessary when being bottle-fed, according to Koenig JS, Davies AM, Thach BT.

Infants that are born prematurely can have a decrease in oxygen saturation and/or apnea episodes (a absence of airflow for a period of time of 20 seconds or greater), less than optimum oxygen saturation can also occur in full term infants who are bottle fed, according to a study done by Matthew O., Clark ML, Ponske MH in which nine out of fifty healthy full term infants experienced bradycardia during bottle-feeding. Out of the nine infants, six of them had episodes that were preceded by apnea and three showed signs of hypopnea, which is a marked reduction in ventilation, and also one infant had central apnea, which is no respiration effort at all during bottle-feeding.

In a 1989 study, lack of breastfeeding is a risk factor for Crohn’s disease. An exploratory study done regarding environmental and medical factors relating to childhood cancer done in 1991 found that babies who had been breastfed for a minimum of eight months had a significantly lower risk of developing Hodgkin’s disease as compared to babies who had been bottle-fed or had been breastfed for 2 months or less.

Breastfeeding also protects children from juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) according to researchers at the University of North Carolina and Duke University.

Another study out of New South Wales in Australia shows that children who were breastfed for at least the first 3 months of life have a 34% lower risk for developing diabetes that children who were not breastfed for a minimum of 3 months; in fact, children who were given cow’s milk-based formula within their first 3 months of life are 52% more likely to develop Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (IDDM).

Breastfeeding has also been linked to a lower risk for acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) according to new findings based on more than 8,000 children studied on international studies. Dr. Marilyn Kwan of the University of California states that “there is a strong suggestion that breastfeeding is protective”.

Researchers also believe that the physical effort required in breastfeeding may leave breastfed infants with stronger lungs that can benefit them well into childhood in fact a study on the Isle of Wight in the UK came to the same conclusion that breastfed infants have better lung function. This better lung function may benefit by protecting children against respiratory problems in early life.

There seems to be adequate evidence through studies and research that supports the various health benefits of breastfeeding.

Read Also

1. Economic And Health Benefits Of Breastfeeding - The battle of breast versus bottle has been going on for years. Both sides boast convenience as a benefit. Nutritionally...
2. Breastfeeding Benefits Not Just The Mom And Baby - What a concept, breastfeeding benefits not just the mom and baby but it also benefits the economy and the environment....
3. Why Breastfeeding Is Best For Baby And Mom - There are many reasons why breastfeeding is best for the baby including nutritional reasons, health reasons, and for better bonding....
4. The Basics Of Breast Feeding - Every baby is born to breast-feed; it is a natural way for a newborn to be nourished. There are many...
5. There Are Many Important Reasons Why You Should Breastfeed - Breastfeeding is becoming more prevalent as the art of breastfeeding has gained in popularity. There are many important reasons why...