The Importance of Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding is a highly discussed issue among mothers in Taiwan. Although mothers can choose between breastfeeding and formula feeding to their infants, it is hard to make decisions due to their strengths and weaknesses. However, breastfeeding is promoted and considered to be an optimum choice. Breast milk is inimitably suited to the nutritional needs for infants and is a substance with unparalleled anti-inflammatory and immunological properties that protect against a series of diseases and illnesses for both mothers and newborns (Lawrence, RA., & Lawrence, RM., 2010). Correspondingly, in the article, Kid Health, has pointed out that “commercial formulas try to imitate breast milk, and come close, but cannot
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Breastfeeding not only offers the nutritional benefits to the infants, but also supplies numerous protective factors against infectious diseases as well as influences immune system development. Through taking breast milk, babies have fewer possibilities of infections and hospitalizations compared to formula-fed infants. For the duration of breastfeeding, mothers will pass antibodies and other germ-fighting factors to their babies and strengthen their immune system. Thus, breastfeeding helps children reduce the opportunities of many infections, such as respiratory illnesses, diarrhea, meningitis, and ear infections (Nemours Foundation, 2015). Brown (2008) also observed that children show decreased possibilities of gastrointestinal problems, polio, influenza, and high cholesterol by feeding solely breast milk. Also the lower risk of allergic is linked to breastfeeding. Studies show that infants fed formulas have a higher chance of developing atopic dermatitis and wheezing illnesses in early childhood than those who fed by breast milk (Noah & Friedman, 2005). Likewise, in a classic study of more than twenty thousand infants had found that babies who were artificially fed were seven times more likely to get eczema as those who were completely breastfed (Olds & Marks, 2010). It can be seen that how the importance of breastfeeding influences the baby’s health. Apart from this, breastfeeding will also give babies a stronger jaw and even have healthier and straighter teeth. For the reason that when they are sucking the mother’s breast to have milk, the muscles of their jaws are used more and trained. To sum up, breastfeeding is actually beneficial to the babies’