Breastfeeding is a common practice among mothers all over the world. However, this activity is slowly becoming unpopular especially in the developed world. Instead of breastfeeding, a good number of women are opting to go for chemical formulations.
There are several reasons to why mothers prefer the artificial milk to the biological one. The main reason is that working mothers have a tight schedule that does not allow time for their babies. Others are more concerned of their physical beauty. Despite this, there are women who have kept the tradition of breasting their babies up to when the child can feed on his or her own. In doing this, there are advantages of breastfeeding that make the child healthy. These benefits are not found in the chemical formulations.
To begin with, the natural milk from mothers comprises of antibodies. These antibodies help to prevent against diseases in the newborns. This is achieved through strengthening of the babiesÂ’ immune systems that are always weak at birth. Infections that affect various parts of newborns such as ears and throat are avoided through the natural breastfeeding. Such antibodies are always missing in the chemical formulations that are nowadays substituting milk from the mother. As such, babies who are denied their motherÂ’s milk tend to have weak immune systems and they might become more susceptible to illnesses.
Breastfeeding provides a baby with timely food. There are many situations that babies wake up in the middle of the night crying for food. In such a case, a mother who breastfeeds her baby easily does that without moving out of bed. This is unlike a woman who uses artificial milk. Such a tradition may have negative effects on the health of a child. A baby who is kept waiting for food may develop stomach and intestinal problems. In a severe case, delay of feeding may cause ulcers in a baby.
More importantly, breast milk contains nutrients necessary for the proper growth of a child. Notably, these nutrients and minerals are in their natural proportions. These optimal quantities help to avoid excess or shortage of any milk component. On the other hand, artificial formulations tend to maximize on nutrients and minerals that they consider more important. In so doing, they leave out other milk components that are essential in the growth of a healthy baby. Moreover, lack of proper balancing of nutrients and minerals may lead to poisoning of a newborn.
Depending on the environment, different babies have distinct food requirements. With biological milk, the need for any nutrient requirement is easily achieved. In such a case, the food that the mother consumes forms the components of the milk. This enables the baby to grow in his or her own pace. In contrast, artificial milk formulations are generally standardized without taking into account the different food requirements for newborns based on their geographical distribution. Such a failure may result to health complications in babies that are fed on the chemical food.
It is apparent that breastfeeding plays a crucial role in the health and development of a child. Though artificial milk is a great innovation, it does not meet the qualities of breast milk. For this reason, natural feeding should be given a priority in all possible situations. Employers should also be part of this campaign by giving breastfeeding mothers ample time to care for their newborns.
