Essay four

Healthy Feeding

by

Sophia Sincevich

EN101-H1

Dr. Kerr

22 November 2010

 

If ninety percent of American families fed their infant children exclusively from the breast for the first six months of their child's life, one thousand infant deaths could be avoided each year ("Womenshealth.gov"). Besides being the most ideal food for a baby, breast milk has nearly all the vitamins and minerals an infant needs; Vitamin D is the single missing component (Jocoy). The main elements in human milk include protein, lactose, whey, casein, and fat; all of which are easily digestible by young systems (Dowshen). A majority of formulas consist of soy products, vegetable oils, cornstarch, and a number of other ingredients that children can not consume easily ("Truth in Labeling"). While formula provides adequate nutrition, it does not give a baby any extra support against infection in the way breast milk naturally does (Jocoy).Unless a mother has a dangerous disease that she could pass to the baby through her milk, breast feeding is suggested and encouraged strongly by doctors ( Gartner, and Eidelman). Unlike formula feeding, breast feeding is extremely healthy for an infant and it's mother, is convenient, and has a positive impact on society.

Children, and their mothers, benefit immeasurably from breast feeding, or nursing. Breast feeding is the action of a child receiving milk from a mother's breast; exclusive breast feeding is when a child eats only a mother's milk and no supplements (Jocoy). Research has shown breast feeding to improve a child's natural defenses, especially when continuing to breast-feed through the entire first year of life (Gartner, and Eidelman). Feeding babies human milk decreases the prevalence and severity of infectious diseases including, but not limited to, diarrhea, urinary tract infections, meningitis, respiratory infections, and late-onset sepsis in premature babies (Gartner, and Eidelman ). In addition to defending against infections, choosing to nurse reduces the chance of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (S.I.D.S), both type one and type two diabetes, lymphoma, obesity, leukemia, and even asthma in older children and adults (Gartner, and Eidelman). The advantages of breast feeding are not only for the babies receiving the milk. Mothers who allow their infants to breast-feed experience a wide range of benefits: swifter recovery from pregnancy, labor, and delivery (Jocoy). Feeding infants from the breast also decreases postpartum bleeding in women, as well as an earlier return to pre-pregnancy weight, less risk of breast and ovarian cancer, and increased time between children (Gartner, and Eidelman ). Because of the release of the hormone Oxycontin during nursing, the mother's uterus bleeds less during recovery from pregnancy and returns to it's normal size quicker than if the mother was not breast feeding (Jocoy). Infant formulas can do none of this, and are only advantageous for the baby, not the mother (Dowshen). In fact, although many formulas claim to have higher levels of nutrients than breast milk, the child does not absorb all of the vitamins and minerals and can not gain their benefits (Tessmer). With the easily digested breast milk, the child can be assured of gaining all the mother has to offer (Jocoy). However healthy a formula seems, it cannot compare to a mother's milk.

Infant formulas are considered to be simpler, swifter, and more convenient for the mother than taking the time to nurse a child (Tessmer). Breast feeding does take more effort and is more time consuming than formula-feeding at first, the mother's nipples can become chapped and the baby does not always take to the breast automatically; but, once the mother and the child have become used to breast feeding, formula feeding is a hassle in comparison ("Womenshealth.gov"). Once the mothers and infants move past the frustrating first stages of nursing, dealing with the constant influx of bottles, formula, and all the procedures associated with it, feeding a baby directly from the mother's body is the simplest method of feeding (Jocoy). Because babies do not digest formula as quickly as breast milk, their stomachs are full longer and so they do not need to eat as often as if they were nursing (Tessmer). But, the formula fed children tend to spit up more than breast fed children due to the extra demands made on their developing systems (Dowshen). With breast feeding, mothers can find themselves nursing every couple of hours, however, this lasts only for the first few weeks of the child's life and tapers off quickly (Dowshen). Unlike formula feeding, when an infant is breast-fed there is nothing to sterilize, measure, mix, or warm (Jocoy). A baby's hunger can be satisfied on the spot instead of the child having to wait as the formula is prepared, this time-saving procedure is especially helpful for parents when a baby has awoken hungry in the middle of the night ("Womenshealth.gov"). To further indicate the convenience of breast milk, if pumped and bottled, can be left out of the refrigerator for up to six hours before it should be disposed of; allowing the child to eat at it's leisure (Smith). Prepared formula can only be unrefrigerated for one hour, and wait inside of a fridge for twenty-four hours (Tessmer).A large argument against breast feeding is the cost of bras, pads, and a breast pump, but these prices do not amount to the expenditures of buying formula, and are usually bought less frequently (Dowshen). Purchasing formula is expensive, especially when needed for an extended amount of time but breast milk is free; this can be extremely advantageous for new parents who may not have much money to spend on formula (Jocoy). A mother's breast naturally adjusts it's milk production to the amount the child needs and prevents the baby from running out of food; formula needs to be purchased every time the container empties (Dowshen). Feeding a baby formula from a bottle can allow greater freedom in how or where a baby eats and provide a more accurate assessment of the amount an infant is consuming (Dowshen). But, a mother can use a breast pump, fill a bottle, and continue to provide her child with her milk instead of formula; the nutrition of breast milk and the flexibility of a bottle give the mother leeway, especially in social settings where she may feel uncomfortable showing her breast (Dowshen). Despite the convenience of bottles, a problem can develop if the child experiences Nipple Confusion and will no longer take to the breast after being exposed to a bottle, or vice versa; though this can be eliminated by exclusively breast feeding for the first few weeks of life ( Jocoy). As overwhelmingly beneficial as breast feeding is for a mother and infant, it is also a positive influence on the world outside the family in ways formula feeding does not.

Nursing children in during their infancy has widespread consequences for society at large. In regards to the world's population, breast feeding not only sustains lives but it also helps prevent births and impedes overpopulation due to postponed menstruation (Smith). Additionally, with more children surviving infancy birth rates naturally lower (Smith). The economy also gains when more mothers breast-feed through the potential of lower annual health care costs, and decreased costs for public health programs like WIC (Gartner, and Eidelman). Mothers would still need to purchase breast pumps and lactation consultations and other necessary equipment, thus insuring money circulating where formula costs once were (Gartner, and Eidelman ). Transportation of the formulas to processing plants and then to the commercial grocer, and the pesticides present in the plant-based formulas require vast amounts of energy and add to the planet's pollution levels (Smith). Alongside the pollution of simply creating the formulas is the environmental burden created by the numerous formula cans and bottles that end up in landfills (Gartner, and Eidelman ). Few formula packages are recycled and for every three million bottle-fed babies, four-hundred and fifty empty containers go to the dump (Smith). The advantages of breast feeding are not limited to the mother and child, and their decisions can impact society on multiple, far-reaching levels.

Though there are obvious benefits to breast feeding, some women continue to feed their babies from manufactured sources. This may be due to a lack of confidence in mothers; they believe they cannot succeed because other women they know could not (O'Connor). While there is nothing unhealthy or dangerous in formula, at this time, it is impossible for formula to duplicate all of the enriching qualities of breast milk (Smith). Though feeding a child exclusively breast milk for as long as possible is suggested, even partial breast feeding is advantageous to the infant's health (Perkins, and Vannais). Studies have even found that breast-fed children have higher testing scores in cognitive development ( Gartner, and Eidelman). Breast milk is naturally designed to have the correct composition and the right amount of nutrients for a baby (Alvis). While nreast feeding a baby does restrict some freedom from the mother, for instance, she must continue to eat a healthy diet and must be careful of the medicines she takes (OBrien) the pros outweigh the cons. Infant formulas are replications of a naturally made substance that has numerous benefits and little to no drawbacks.

Works Cited

Alvis, Jeff. "Knowledge Base." Stonebridge Pediatrics. N.p., 2010. Web. 4 Dec 2010. <http://www.stonebridgepediatrics.com/breastfeeding_faq

Dowshen, Steven. "Feeding Your Newborn." KidsHealth. The Nemours Foundation, Aug 2008. Web. 4 Dec 2010. <http://kidshealth.org/parent/growth/feeding/feednewborn

Gartner, Lawrence, and Arthur Eidelman. "Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk." AAP Policy. N.p., Feb 2005. Web. 4 Dec 2010. <http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics

"Infant Formula." Truth in Labeling. N.p., 03 Jul 2004. Web. 4 Dec 2010. <http://www.truthinlabeling.org/formulacopy.html>.

Jocoy, Sandy. "Should I Breast-Feed My Baby." WebMD. Healthwise Inc., 04 May 2009. Web. 4 Dec 2010. <http://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/should-i-breast-feed-my-baby>.

OBrien, Robin. "The Advantages of Bottle Feeding." Article Alley. N.p., 21 Aug 2006. Web. 4 Dec 2010. <http://www.articlealley.com/article_83417_40.html>.

O'Connor, Mary. "Breastfeeding Benefits and Barriers: Lack of Confidence." Breastfeeding Basics. Mary O'Connor, 1998. Web. 4 Dec 2010. <http://www.breastfeedingbasics.org/cgi-bin/deliver.cgi/content/Introduction/bar_confidence.html>.

Perkins, Sharon, and Carol Vannais. "Comparing Formula and Breast Milk." Dummies.com. Wiley Publishing Inc, n.d. Web. 4 Dec 2010. <http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/comparing-formula-and-breast-milk.html>.

Smith, Mark. "Nursing the World Back to Health." La Leche League International. La Leche League International, 14 Oct 2007. Web. 4 Dec 2010. <http://www.llli.org/NB/NBMayJun95p68.html>.

Tessmer, Kimberly. "Breast Milk vs Formula." Family Education. Pearson Education Inc, n.d. Web. 4 Dec 2010. <http://life.familyeducation.com/breastfeeding/formula-feeding/44286.html>.

"Why Breastfeeding is Important." Womenshealth.gov. N.p., 01 Aug 2010. Web. 4 Dec 2010. <http://www.womenshealth.gov/breastfeeding/why-breastfeeding-is-important/>.