Breastfeeding of the infant by the mother enjoys (again) increasing popularity. This is not surprising, as it offers numerous benefits for both mother and child.
Advantages for the mother
- The reduction of body weight to the initial weight is achieved most gently due to the high additional energy consumption during milk production.
- Nevertheless, the breastfeeding period should in no case be used as a “slimming diet“. After all, the newborn needs large amounts of calories and nutrients to develop. A slow and steady weight reduction results almost by itself.
Importance for the child
Breast milk contains nutrients of high quality, best availability and in an almost optimal composition. Even today, it is still far from being able to produce an equal artificial substitute that performs a similar number of functions. In addition, the different content of ingredients in the initial milk (colostrum), the transition milk and the mature milk meets the changing needs of the infant.
In addition to carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals, other vital substances are also provided. Enzymes that take into account the immature digestive system of the newborn are present, as are hormones, growth factors and immunological components. The latter consist of antibodies (IgA) and white blood cells (leukocytes).
This results in the following advantages for your child:
- Supply of proteins from an optimal composition.
- Supply of vital substances (vitamins and minerals) in a form that can be used well (high availability).
- Efficient digestion and absorption of substances thanks to supplied enzymes.
- Protection against disease thanks to numerous defense substances and cells.
- Preservation from food allergies in later life.
Healthy thriving
The nutrients and antibodies in breast milk have a positive effect on child development. Many diseases occur less frequently or run more harmless in breastfed children, such as gastrointestinal infections, middle ear infections and diseases of the upper respiratory tract. Allergic diseases are also less severe in breastfed children or develop later. Sucking at the breast promotes the formation of jaw muscles much more intensively than sucking at the bottle. Therefore, breastfed children suffer less frequently from malocclusions.
The suggestion to breastfeed fully during the first six months of life is based on the following reasoning: Only at this time are the child’s immune system and metabolism ready to process contact with new foods well. In Germany, it is hardly known that the WHO has been recommending corrected growth curves for children who are breastfed since April 2006. This is to take place during the pediatrician’s examinations. It can already be assumed that school children are up to 25% less overweight if they have been breastfed.
