The following are the benefits of breastfeeding for the baby as listed at the Cleveland Clinic website under the title “The Benefits of Breastfeeding for Baby & for Mom” (last reviewed January 1, 2018). The benefits for the mother will be listed next week.
Breastfed babies have:
- Stronger immune systems
- Less diarrhea, constipation, gastroenteritis, gastroesophageal reflux, and preterm necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC)
- Fewer colds and respiratory illnesses like pneumonia, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and whooping cough
- Fewer ear infections, especially those that damage hearing
- Fewer cases of bacterial meningitis
- Better vision and less retinopathy of prematurity
- Lower rates of infant mortality
- Lower rates of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
- Less illness overall and less hospitalization
- Parents have up to six times less absenteeism from work
Breast milk provides abundant and easily absorbed nutritional components, antioxidants, enzymes, immune properties, and live antibodies from mother. Mother’s more mature immune system makes antibodies to the germs to which she and her baby have been exposed. These antibodies enter her milk to help protect her baby from illness. Immunoglobulin A coats the lining of the baby’s immature intestines helping germs and allergens from leaking through. Breast milk also contains substances that naturally soothe infants.
Breastfed babies may become healthier children with:
- Fewer instances of allergies, eczema, and asthma
- Fewer childhood cancers, including leukemia and lymphomas
- Lower risk of type I and II diabetes
- Fewer instances of Crohn’s disease and colitis
- Lower rates of respiratory illness
- Fewer speech and orthodontic problems
- Fewer cavities
- Less likelihood of becoming obese later in childhood
- Improved brain maturation
- Greater immunity to infection
Sheila: Many of these breastfeeding benefits are listed on pages 103 and 104 of our teaching manual, Natural Family Planning: The Complete Approach, as gathered from the websites of The American Academy of Pediatrics, The American Academy of Family Physicians and the United States Breastfeeding Committee. Other breastfeeding benefits researched and published in 2018 were covered at the blogs at NFPandmore.org during the weeks of February.