The Cost of Not Breastfeeding

Introduction:

Breastfeeding is widely accepted and has an important role to be followed post-delivery for the betterment of the new mother and the infant. Researchers have stated the enormous benefits of breastfeeding along with its impact on the social and economic status of the country. Breastfeeding is one of the most effective ways to ensure a child’s health and survival. According to the norms, infants under six months of age have to exclusively breastfeed. Breast milk is ideal for infants and failing to feed them properly and sufficiently can result in various drawbacks.

What Is Breastfeeding?

Breastfeeding is a process by which breast milk is fed to a child. This process is very important for the better health of a child and its mother. Breastmilk can be expressed by hand, pumped, or fed directly to the infant. Breastfeeding has enormous benefits to both infant and mother than the infant formula. This process also improves cognitive development and decreases the risk of obesity in adulthood. In cases of improper breastfeeding, the natural bond between the mother and infant is affected, along with other issues like increased risk of allergies, negative effects on the baby’s development as well as more hospital visits. When the new mother fails to breastfeed, she faces an increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer, osteoporosis, and physical and mental disturbances in the long run.

Mothers who breastfeed include less blood loss following delivery, decrease risk of postpartum depression, and better contraction of the uterus. Breastfeeding delays the return of menstruation in peculiar circumstances, fertility, and this phenomenon is known as lactational amenorrhea. Though it may impair a mother's ability to earn an income it is usually beneficial to both mother and infants psychologically and physically.

What Are the Benefits of Breastfeeding in Infants?

Breastfeeding offers great benefits to babies and decreases the risk of certain diseases and helps in building a strong immune system for the babies. Breastfeeding decreases the risk of:

• Ear infections.
• Asthma.
• Bacterial meningitis (an infection of the membranes that protect the spinal cord and brain)
• Respiratory infections like a respiratory syncytial virus, and whooping cough.
• Eczema (a condition that causes itchy, dry, and inflamed skin).
• Type 2 diabetes.
• Diarrhea and vomiting.
• Preterm necrotizing enterocolitis ( A serious gastrointestinal issue that affects premature babies).
• Childhood obesity.
• Leukemia (a type of cancer of blood-forming tissues that include bone marrow and lymphatic system).
• Cavities and orthodontic problems.
• Celiac disease (also known as a gluten-sensitive condition, an immune reaction to eating gluten) and inflammatory bowel disease.
• Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and infant mortality.

There are various nutritional benefits an infant gets from breast milk. It eases the digestion process and helps to digest an immature baby’s tummy and intestines. Breast milk contains antibodies and protects against infection and boosts immunity. It promotes healthy weight gain and naturally soothes the baby. Breast milk has the right amount of sugar, water, protein, and vitamins that are best for an infant's development.

What Are the Benefits of Breastfeeding in Mothers?

Breastfeeding also offers several benefits to the mothers as it lowers the risk of disease and conditions like:

• Ovarian cancer.
• Osteoporosis (it is caused when bones become weak and brittle).
• Type 2 diabetes.
• Breast cancer (is a disease in which the cells of the breast overgrow and spread to different parts of the body).
• Endometrial cancer (a type of cancer that begins in the uterus it is also called uterine cancer).
• Thyroid cancer.
• Cardiovascular disease includes high cholesterol and high blood pressure.
• Postpartum depression (this type of depression that happens after giving birth and leads to extreme despair and sadness).

Breastfeeding helps the new mother to recover quickly from childbirth. They produce the hormone oxytocin which helps the uterus to contract after the delivery and helps the uterus to return to its normal size and decreases the vaginal bleeding after the delivery. It is a unique way that makes mother and baby feel connected. Individuals feel the bonding from breastfeeding which helps in reducing behavioral and social problems in both adults and children.

What Is the Cost of Not Breastfeeding?

Adequate breastfeeding, according to recommendation indicates, initiating breastfeeding within an hour of birth and exclusive breastfeeding for at least the first six months. Following these guidelines can save many lives of mothers and infants annually. Breastfeeding is a valuable natural resource that promotes health and prevents childhood and infant disease and saves health care costs. Many health risks occur when breastfeeding is not done properly, like:

• The antibodies that are represented in breast milk which help the babies from viruses and bacteria are sufficiently supplied to the infants. These babies who are not exclusively fed for six months are more likely to develop otitis media (ear infections), diarrhea, and respiratory illness and can have more visits to the hospital. Infants who are not breastfed have a 21 % higher postneonatal infant mortality rate.
• Babies who are not sufficiently fed can have a higher risk of sudden infant death syndrome, more prone to conditions like Type 1 and type 2 diabetes, leukemia, lymphoma, obesity, overweight, asthma, and high cholesterol.
• These babies cannot tolerate seasonal infections and can fall sick often.
• By breastfeeding the chances of unsterilized and infectious bottle feeding also reduces, as an individual has to always sterilize the bottle nipples before the feeding. Unlike breastfeeding, it is directly from the mother to the infant and the chances of contamination are very less.
• For mothers who fail to breastfeed, increasing the risk of many serious conditions of post-pregnancy obesity, breastfeeding releases a hormone that helps the uterus to shrink post-delivery. So not breastfeeding fails uterine shrinkage.
• Osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis are the most common issues faced by women who do not breastfeed.
• Both mothers and infants have to pay a high cost based on health when breastfeeding is not done according to the norms.

Conclusion

Breastfeeding saves the lives of not just the new infants but also the mothers. Breastfeeding is a smart investment in the health and human capital of the country. It lays the foundation for good health in young lives, which ultimately benefits the economies assuring the cognitive development of the infants, and supports future achievements in education status and their careers. Formula feeding is associated with adverse health problems for both infants and mothers, ranging from infectious morbidity to chronic disease. Breastfeeding should be acknowledged as a biological norm for infant feeding. Hospital practices and physician counseling should be aligned to ensure that both the new mother and infant have the best chance for a long and successful breastfeeding experience.