The greatest challenge faced by new mothers is that of making decisions, especially those that revolve around their babies are nutrition matters. The biggest dilemma comes in when they have to choose whether to breastfeed them or to bottle-feed them. At most times when they are in public places, mothers are forced to bottle-feed their young ones because breastfeeding makes them feel uncomfortable and even those around them. However, there is also a group of people who criticise bottle feeding as a way of denying the newly born baby breast milk which is considered the perfect nutritionally ordained food. The advantages of breastfeeding are well known, and they precede bottle feeding by far much in the provision of nutrients that are essential for a child growth and development.
The Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) and the American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) have recommended breastfeeding as the ideal way of providing nutritionally strong milk. They have recommended that a child is given breast milk for at least a half a year after birth. The AAP also advises that even after other foods are introduced, it is important for the mother to keep on with the habit of breastfeeding until the baby is a year old.
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The advantages of breast milk are dual in that both the mother and the child. For instance, breastfeeding provides natural antibodies that make their body resistant to illness; hence, preventing them from the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (Belfield & Kelly, 2010; Stolzer, 2011). According to recent research, it was found that most individuals who were breastfed in their childhood were more resistive to infections as compared to their counterparts who were formula fed (Belfield & Kelly, 2010). This is because the milk from the mother is naturally rich in particular nutrients than any other milk that can protect infants from sudden deaths. Infant deaths have been on the rise in the recent past as indicated in the recent studies. Many newly born children have been passing on before celebrating their first year since birth. It has, however, been argued that breast milk can help lower the possible chances of early infant death. It is nutritious nature and capable of maintaining the young child’s health and keeping them from early death (Stolzer, 2011).
Nevertheless, breastfeeding is not only important to a child’s early stages of life but also in the latter stages. A case study recently showed that individuals who were breastfed well in their childhood days are not easily prone to type 1 and 2 diabetes (Belfield & Kelly, 2010). They are also not at risk of becoming overweight or developing ailments like leukaemia and lymphoma.
When it comes to the mothers, breastfeeding comes in quite an advantage to them (Stolzer, 2011). It reduces chances of them being affected by breast cancer, diabetes, and osteoporosis as well as enhancing the mother-child bondage. Research has shown that most of the women who are affected by breast cancer have had poor breastfeeding habits over the years. Again, most of the women with proper breastfeeding habits have been discovered to be safer from getting affected by breast cancer. Most women have been advised to practise good breastfeeding habits as a result. Moreover, there is a link that is created as the mother breasts their little ones. The child becomes attached to their mother’s love, and affection and their mother too become connected to her child. People believe that this is one of the reasons as to why many young mothers are breastfeeding today.
Besides being digestible than bottle milk, Breastfeeding enhances the intelligence of children (Belfield & Kelly, 2010; Stolzer, 2011). The little ones have weak body systems that are not capable of digesting certain types of food. It, therefore, becomes hard for their system to digest bottle milk which is obtained from other animals (Belfield & Kelly, 2010). Their mother’s milk is; however, absorbed quickly by their weak and immature body digestion system into their blood stream. Further, new-born babies tend to develop higher levels of cognitive functioning when breastfed as compared to bottle-fed individuals. This kind of difference is caused by the strengthening of the brain to its original functionality in their early days (Stolzer, 2011). Their brains tend to develop at a faster rate.
However, this is not to say that breastfeeding does not have any disadvantages. First, a breast-feeding mother should always be present at all times to feed the baby. This means that the mother is not free to carry on other duties that she might be will to partake. Again, in case the mother is undergoing certain medications, she might be prohibited from giving the child breast milk. Therefore, bottling saves the mother time to be able to carry on her activities as she does not have to be physically available (Stolzer, 2011). She can get someone who is a close family member or child caregiver to feed the child when she is not around. This allows her more time to be able to do other activities, say, career wise.
Bottle feeding on the other side is not as bad. It is also a healthy way of feeding babies only that the advantages that come with breastfeeding precede its own (Belfield & Kelly, 2010). It is nutritiously enriched to suit the needs of the young one’s body metabolisms. However, there is no perfect balance in the nutrients as is characteristic in breast milk. Additionally, the level of nutrients depends on proper preparation. This means that if not properly prepared, then there is a high probability that it does not provide the desired nutrients required for the growth and development of the child’s body.
Since the caregiver regulates the amount of milk given to the child, formula milk is costly (Belfield & Kelly, 2010). He offers prescriptions of certain quantities of the milk that the child is expected to take. When it comes to breastfeeding, it is the infant who determines what amount to take. This is because they are let to drink until they can take no more. According to Stuebe (2009), a parent can spend almost $198 on purchasing formula milk and other items that come with it in a month. This cost is considerable as a loss given that breast milk is more advantageous than it and is offered free of charge. It also comes with costs such as purchasing the bottle and nipple top. Further, formula milk does not help create the mother-child bond. There is no direct and physical interaction of the mother and the child. In a way that is not noticeable, this takes away the privilege that the mother has to create a connection with their child. The child also grows up not having the very crucial relationship that a child so much desires to get from their mother.
In conclusion, it is evident that breastfeeding is essential in a child’s life. It has quite a wide range of pros as compared to its cons. Its principal cons are only social problems which are incomparable to a person’s health and well-being. Additionally, it is not only profitable to the infant only but to the mother too in quite explicable ways. With high rise in the number of women affected by breast cancer, it is a challenge posed to the women to take on serious breastfeeding habits. Moreover, it should be understood that the mother’s presence during her child’s early growth is quite imperative. Children who have experienced that kind of affection and closeness from their parents tend to lead way better lives and they grow up with a sense of life and belonging. Therefore, mothers should consider breastfeeding as a way to creating this connection with their children.
References
Belfield, C. R., & Kelly, I. R. (2010). The benefits of breastfeeding across the early years of childhood, Working paper 16496. Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge: National Bureau of Economic Research.
Stolzer, J. M. (2011). Breastfeeding and low income women: an ecological assessment. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 1 (15). 46-54
Stuebe, A. (2009). The risks of not breastfeeding for mothers and infants. Reviews in Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2 (4): 222-231.
