Breastfeeding is one of the oldest practices carried out by humans and it is usually the simplest, healthiest and least expensive feeding method that meets all the nutrient needs of an infant (Okafor et al., 2014).
Breastfeeding needs to be encouraged to every mother (for those who are able to successfully breastfeed) because it not only benefits the mother but also the child (Berger, 2016). For the mother, the risk of having ovarian cancer is reduced because of lactation especially if it is done for a long duration as explained in Luan et al., 2013 work (as cited in Schwarz et al., 2017). For babies who are exclusively breastfed fall sick less often partly because the mother passes on antibodies to her child which helps fight off allergies (Berger, 2016).
According to Victoria et al., 2008 study (as cited in Okafor et al., 2014), the first 2 years of life are very important in the growth and development of a child because nutritional deficiencies at that time could lead to slow growth as well as reduced cognitive development. In a study by Okafor et al. (2014), in Nigeria the breastfeeding practices has not met up with the WHO/UNICEF recommendations for developing countries due to some factors such as age, marital status, occupation, education level and maternal healthcare.
As someone in the early childhood field, I would encourage mothers to breastfeed their babies for as long as they are capable of doing so and also show empathy towards mothers who may have difficulties in breastfeeding and enlighten them that although breast milk is the healthiest for babies, fed is best after all for all babies regardless of what they eat.
Reference
Berger, K. S. (2016). The developing person through childhood (7th ed.) New York, NY: Worth Publishers.
Schwarz, E., Ross-Cowdery, M., Corbelli, J., Lewis, C., & Papic, M. (2017). Counseling About the Maternal Health Benefits of Breastfeeding and Mothers' Intentions to Breastfeed. Maternal & Child Health Journal, 21(2), 234-241. doi:10.1007/s10995-016-2130-x
Hi Adiele,
ReplyDeleteI agree that breastfeeding show be encourage to all mothers. I do believe once a child can walk, talk, and has teeth it is time to remove them from the breast. The mother could possibly continue to pump her breast and provide the milk to the child. That's just my personal opinion.
Ashley
Ashley, thanks for reading my post. People however have conflicting opinions for when a child should stop nursing at the breast. Mothers who practice attachment parenting would say otherwise. Ultimately, everyone should do what is best for their situation as long as it does not hurt the child.
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