Breast-Feeding Benefits

Benefits for Baby

Research indicates that babies who are breastfed are at reduced risk for:

• Stomach or intestinal infections.
• Chronic constipation, colic, and other stomach upsets.
• Skin diseases (infantile eczema).
• Allergy problems (infantile allergies).
• Fewer incidences of vomiting and diarrhea (20-35 million episodes of diarrhea occur in children under the age of 5, resulting in over 200,000 hospitalizations and 400-500 deaths in the U.S.).
• Obesity, developing high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, iron-deficiency anemia, cancer, and tooth decay.
• Ear infections,colds, respiratory illnesses, pneumonia, bronchitis, kidney infections, septicemia (blood poisoning).
• The varying composition of breastmilk keeps pace with the infant’s individual growth and changing nutritional needs.
• Reduced risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) Statistics reveal that for every 87 deaths from SIDS, only 3 are breast-fed.
• Nursing promotes facial structure development, enhanced speech. straighter teeth and enhances vision.

Benefits for Mom

• Reduced risk of breast, uterine, and ovarian cancer
• 1/2 the calories needed to manufacture milk is pulled from fat stores… can burn from 500 – 1,500 calories per day
• Decreased post-partum bleeding
• Saves at least $2,000 per year, depending on which formula you buy
• Saves time on bottle cleaning and formula preparation, increasing your sleep
• Always the right temperature, ready made
• Protection against osteoporosis and hip fracture later in life
• Reduced risk of mortality for women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been associated with total time of lactation
• Helps delay return of fertility and to space subsequent pregnancies
• Develops a special emotional relationship and bonding with her child
• Breastfed babies are sick less thus reducing healthcare costs to family in Doctor office visits, prescriptions, over the counter medicine purchases, and hospitalizations
• Moms miss less time off from work due to child related illnesses