For sure you have heard that the best food you can give to an infant in breast milk. The majority of people don’t realize the importance of breastfeeding for infants. It’s not just something normal but something that makes sure that the baby will have the best start in life possible.
Numerous studies have shown the benefits of breast milk for infants. Breast milk can offer protection against stomach viruses, ear infections, respiratory illnesses, and meningitis.
The most important agent of breast milk is known to be secretory immunoglobulin that can be found in colostrum.
Believe it or not, the importance of breastfeeding infants also comes from the fact that breastfed babies usually don’t develop allergies. Again, we have to think about IgA, which provides a protective layer to the intestinal tract, thus resulting in less allergic reactions.
When it comes to the importance of breastfeeding for infants, you should also think about the intelligence of the baby. According to different studies, the longer the babies got breastfed, the higher their IQ got. These children also get higher scores on vocabulary tests.
It is believed regarding the importance of breastfeeding babies that these children will make better nutritional decisions at later stages of life. Breast milk is efficient in this case because it comes with less insulin than formula and the breastfed babies get more leptin into their system, a hormone that regulates fat and appetite.
The researchers say regarding the importance of breastfeeding for infants that the breastfed babies have 50% less chances of SIDS than their formula fed counterparts. This is why the specialists recommend breastfeeding as long as possible.
Studies conducted regarding the babies’ breastfeeding importance suggest that the women who breastfeed have lower chances of being affected by breast or ovarian cancer. The specialists don’t know why this happens, but it may have something to do with the structural changes of the breasts. This is because during lactation the body produces less estrogen. This may also have a role to play in case of ovarian cancer.
Now that you know about the importance of breastfeeding for infants you might reconsider giving your baby formula and you might choose the natural path which is better for the both of you. Although breastfeeding is an alternative option in our days, it is strongly recommended to breastfeed your children.