The Benefits of Breastfeeding for Baby and Mother

According to Article 24 in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, every child is opted to the utmost attainable standard of health. (United Nations, 1989) From the day of childbirth and up to the age of two is the most critical period of time of the advancement of good health including good growth, as well as cognitive and behavioral development. The most effective way to promote optimal growth for a child is through feeding, more specifically through breastfeeding. Despite obvious precautions, such as a mother who has HIV or some other disorder that can be transmitted through fluid, breast milk is far superior to formula feeding. It is the most nutritional and beneficial way a mother can provide proper nutrients and immunological support for her baby. Without the support of breast milk, the sustainability of a healthy baby can seriously decrease. According to the World Health Organization, lack of proper nutrition leads to 45% of child deaths. (World Health Organization, 2014) Breastfeeding is a true phenomenon that is not only extremely beneficial for the baby but equally for the mother as well. It is what breast milk consists of that makes is so valuable to child survival, immunity, development, and growth; and it is the act of breastfeeding that is equally favorable to the mother.

In order to fully understand why breastfeeding is so beneficial, it is important to know how and what it is made of. The placenta is what starts the process. Hormones, estrogen and progesterone, start to increase in massive amounts in order to spark the production of the system in which makes milk production in the breasts possible. More specifically, estrogen aids in the growth of duct cells and progesterone stimulates the growth of milk pr...

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... is clear that there is a broad amount of benefits to both the child and mother through the act of breastfeeding. Not only does it provide extreme health and psychological benefits, but it is also known to be economically benfecial as well. Mothers are able to save hundreds of dollars without the need to buy formula, and since breastmilk provides an adequate amount of nutrition that ultimately decrease a babies chances of sickness and disease, it is also known to save money from hospital fees as well. Medical care bills have been reported to be 20% less for families who excluvisely breastfed, compared to those who didn’t. (Health, 2003) It is clear that there are a handful of nutrional, physical, and psychological benefits that breastfeeing offers to both the mother and infant, compared to non-breastfeeding families, making it safe to say the breast really is best.