Breastfeeding research continues to demonstrate significant health benefits for both the baby and the mother. Mother’s milk can protect the baby from a variety of infections in the gastrointestinal, urinary, and respiratory tracts, as well as lowering the rate of ear infections, reducing diarrhea and the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome), and helping to protect against allergies, diabetes, and obesity later in life.
Breast milk is high in nutritious components, antioxidants, enzymes, immunological capabilities, and live antibodies from the mother, all of which are easily absorbed. Antibodies are produced by the mother’s more mature immune system in response to the pathogens to which she and her infant have been exposed. These antibodies are absorbed into her milk and assist to protect her infant from disease. Immunoglobulin A protects the lining of the immature intestines of the newborn, preventing pathogens and allergens from passing through. Breast milk also contains natural calming ingredients for babies.
The offer of a mother’s breast to her baby is a biologically and ethically unassailable right of both mother and child, and it is critical for the nursing baby’s survival and quality of life during its early years. The benefits of breastfeeding are now thought to continue beyond the length of the practice and into adulthood, with long-term implications for quality of life.
