Breast-feeding is the Best Option Essay -- Health, Breast Milk

Breast-feeding is a process that involves an infant suckling its mother’s breast in order to get some milk. Breast milk can sometimes be substituted with baby formula for a number of reasons. These reasons may be death of the infant’s mother, the mother’s being a working mother and is always away, and some mothers just opt for baby formula. The formula has a number of advantages: it is readily available, cheaper, and easy to control. Breast milk is sometimes referred to as the line of equal measure between the very rich parents and the poor parents (Pryor & Kathleen, 2010). All infants are lucky to be given all the nutrients present in mothers’ milk without an extra cost. There are numerous studies on the effects of breast-feeding both to the mother and the infants. However, these studies concentrate mostly on short term benefits but not long term benefits of the discussed process. This paper serves to investigate the long term benefits of breast milk from a growth, nutrition, and biocultural perspective. In this study â€Å"long term â€Å"refers to a time not less than two years. What exactly does the breast milk consist of that makes it so miraculous and important in growth and development of a baby? Breast milk contains long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids that are not contained in baby formulas as well as antibiotics for protection against diseases. Moreover, it also includes all the vitamins required in the human body. In essence, it is only food that contains everything that a baby needs for proper growth and healthy development. Earlier studies have indicated that the benefits of breast-feeding outweigh the benefits of baby formula. These benefits are both for the mother and the infant. Research has also indicated that these bene... ...should adopt these practices. Baby formula should be adopted as an option but not as a substitution for breastfeeding. Works Cited Hormann, Elizabeth. Breastfeeding an adopted baby and relactation. Schaumburg, IL: La Leche League International, 2006. Print. Lawrence, Ruth A., and Robert M. Lawrence. Breastfeeding a guide for the medical profession. Maryland Heights, Mo: Mosby/Elsevier, 2011. Print. Pryor, Gayle, and Kathleen Huggins. Nursing mother, working mother : the essential guide to breastfeeding your baby before and after you return to work. Sydney, N.S.W: Read How You Want, 2010. Print. Riordan, Jan, and Karen Wambach. Breastfeeding and human lactation. Sudbury, Mass: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 2010. Print. Rubin, Stacey H. The ABCs of breastfeeding everything a mom needs to know for a happy nursing experience. New York: AMACOM, 2008. Print.