For years there have been arguments about which is the best way to feed a baby. Many women going through their pregnancy struggling with what decision is right for them because ultimately it is a behavior that is natural to our species and those like us. There are two options to choose from when deciding how to feed an infant after birth. The first is breastfeeding either by bottle or breast and the second is formula feeding a baby. This paper will be a review of the two options and the comparison of the two, the politics involved, and finally with the arguments that are involved on both sides.
Breastfeeding is the natural process of a woman feeding a child from her breast. Other names for this process are Nursing or Suckling. The American Academy of Physicians make the following policy statement on breastfeeding: “Breastfeeding is the physiological norm for both mothers and their children. Breast milk offers medical and psychological benefits not available from human milk substitutes (Breastfeeding (Policy Statement), 2014)” Feeding a child from the breast of a mother is a natural phenomenon that many mammals like humans do to provide for their young. Before the scientific technology of formula came about, the breast was the only way to feed an infant right after birth.
The first liquid that is produced by the breast after birthing the baby is colostrum. This is a yellow substance that is made during the pregnancy and is rich in nutrients and antibodies that is said to protect the baby. This colostrum is how the baby is fed for approximately three to five days and will provide enough nutrients that the baby needs. After this time period, is when the letdown occurs and the actual milk will arrive and the breast will be ready...
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...nitive differences at the select age groups (Belfield & Kelly, 2010). The downside to breastfeeding is the time it takes, societies negative views of public breastfeeding and the effort that is sometimes takes for mothers. There are also positive sides to formula feeding that include convenience, more effortless,
In the United States specifically today, breastfeeding is becoming more common than it has been in the past because of the awareness of the health benefits, yet many women still choose formula feeding because of personal beliefs, personal situations or hardships for the mother or child. 75% of women breast feed their child for some length of time in its life (AAP Reaffirms Breastfeeding Guidelines, 2012). Regardless of the benefits of it, there will most likely always be a choice with scientific research and with the advancement of technology on formula.
What are the benefits of breastfeeding, you might be wondering? Well for starters breast milk is very crucial for a newborn. Not only does it feed and
The American Academy of Pediatricians recommends mothers breastfed their baby for one year. This provides the baby with the best nutrition and antibodies, protecting them against infections and colds. Breast milk is one of the first foods that babies ingest. Breast milk is easy to digest, and it has the right amount of fat, sugar, water, and protein. Studies show when mothers breastfeed it can lower the risk of babies having type 1 and type 2 diabetes, asthma, and becoming obese (Goldman). Breastfeeding is
What is better for infants under two years of age; breast-feeding or formula feeding? How does each affect the child’s health outcome? These are questions many new parents or soon-to-be parents ask. There are benefits to both breastfeeding and formula feeding, but with benefits, there are also risks to each type of feeding. Picking which type of feeding to provide a child is significant because a child grows significantly within the first two years of life. Within these first two years, a child needs the proper amount of adequate nutrition to grow and develop. It is important to determine which feeding is better for infants to help them in this vulnerable stage of life. Do infants who breastfeed have better health outcomes in the first two years of life than
Very few experts disagree with the fact that breastfeeding is the optimal choice for the infant. However, decreasing breastfeeding rates raise many questions as to why mothers are not choosing the best nutritional choice for their children. Despite breast milk being the obvious choice for infant feeding due to the health, psychological, and economic benefits, many mothers still decide to feed their infants formula due to lack of knowledge and support, difficulties with breastfeeding, and social embarrassment. Changes need to be made with formula companies, medical professionals, and the public opinion of breastfeeding in order to give nursing mothers the support they deserve.
Nutrition and breastfeeding are essential parts of the nursing mother. It is essential because without it we would have a world with sick, underdeveloped, malnutritioned, and untrusting individuals. Fortunately breastfeeding gets rid of all these extremities. Feeding from the breast is something that protects not only the mother, but the baby too. There is nothing else in the world like it. Some nutrients in it are only found in a human body. What else could a mother ask for? All the diseases that are easily acquired by a defenseless organism of a baby are now stoppable because of the mother's natural resistant and supplier of necessary material. That resistant and material is breast milk.
Not only is breastfeeding your child less expensive than formula, it is also the most beneficial method for them. The mother’s breast milk is the healthiest form of milk for all babies (Begum 27).
Throughout history there has been a need for alternative feeding methods for infants. Whether because of an issue with the mother’s milk supply or because of death of the mother, there have always been children that required the use of something other than their own mother’s milk. In more recent history, alternative feeding has also been used as a convenience. Prior to the development of infant formula in 1865, animal milk and wet nurses were used to accomplish the feeding of orphaned infants or others whose mothers could not, or chose not to, breast feed. Between 1950 and 1970 the breast feeding rate fell dramatically. Some studies suggest that more that 75 percent of American infants born during that time were formula fed. As the rates of diabetes, obesity and other health issues continue to increase researchers are looking at how individuals are feeding their infants and what effects the large amounts of high calorie “breast-milk substitute” may be having. Infant formula is being considered as one of the contributors to the growing health crisis in America. American mothers may be inadvertently predisposing their children to a lifetime of health issues by choosing not to breast feed.
The advantages with bottle feeding can be share responsibility on the night feeding, this would appeal to mums, as the baby wouldn’t be attached to them at all times. Also feeding allows fathers to share the fed and helps the bonding between father and baby (Murkoff, 2008). The women would also feel she had more freedom if she bottle-fed; she would not need to worry about her diet. Babies will sleep for longer when formula is used (NHS, 2010).Bottle feeding is easier for baby to get started on than breastfeeding. In addition, for women who feel uncomfortable about breastfeeding there is no public display, when bo...
Breastfeeding is the most protective, nutritional, and natural way to provide nourishment to infants. Human milk contains several nutrients including: vitamins, proteins, lipids, carbohydrates and minerals. These nutrients are imperative for an infant’s developmental growth. Human milk also reduces the risk of developing morbidities, especially within premature infants. Premature infants, who are more prone to infection due their immune systems, benefit from human milk. Compared to artificial formulas, human milk provides antibodies and other beneficial nutrients to help with the development of the infant.
Breast feeding has been in practice for a very long time, as early as 2000 BC. Before the invention of formula, bottles, and pumps this was the safest most common way for a mother to feed their infants. In fact, for 99% of human history breast milk was the sole source of nutrition for children until the age of two. In today’s society there are many different and opposing personal stand points on where or not a mother should breast feed their children. It is a very controversial topic with many variables. In breast feeding there are several benefits, reasons, and cultural effects that go into making the decision to engage or stay away from breast feeding. There is also historical causes and cultural differences that lead influence a mothers choice to engage in breast feeding.
Breast feeding is a natural phenomenon and has numerous benefits to both baby and mother associated with it. The world health organisation recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life. Suckling is an instinctive nature of all mammalian and provides their offspring with a pure, wholesome, nutritional food. Therefore, mothers and babies are genetically designed to gain from this natural process. Studies in humans have demonstrated that breast feeding of babies for even their first 3 months, can induce favourable health repercussions for many years after. However, the benefits are not just for the baby, breast feeding has also been shown to exhibit many beneficial effects both transient and sustained in the mother too.
mother’s milk. It a practice that has been passed down from generation to generation since the beginning of our existence. It has proven to be an efficient and healthy way to feed newborns. Several research have shown numerous benefits of breastfeeding. For example, when it comes to the comparison of breast milk and formula milk, studies have shown that formula milk can be harder for babies to digest. This is due to the fact that formula milk is created from cows and babies, stomachs have a hard time digesting and adjusting to it. In addition, the overall quality of formula milk lack the critical nutritions such as antibodies, which breast milk provides to help fight of infections and prevent diseases. As a result, the benefits of
Women do not breastfeed long enough. Although healthcare workers try to promote the breast method, many women do not continue with it. Breastfeeding does come with challenges; however, the phrase “breast is best” is the role of the nurse in conjunction with education. A mother a...
Human Breast Milk is touted as the perfected food for infants. There is extreme pressure placed on new mothers to nurse or feed expressed breast milk (EB) elusively for the first six months of life. The extreme of this can be defined by a group called La Lache League International.
Breast milk is made for the baby having just the right amount of protein, sugar, water, and fat that is needed for a baby’s growth and development. As breast milk is easier for newborn’s to digest than formal, it prevents intestinal upsets. Furthermore, breast milk includes substances such as immunoglobulin’s...