Breastfeeding is when a mother nurses her infant by directly providing breast milk or pumping it out from the breast and bottle feeding them. This process of breastfeeding keeps the baby healthier. Along with complimentary food and formula feeding introduction, maternal breastfeeding is most preferred for the child’s well-being. Optimal feeding of the infant ensures the growth, development, and health of children to their full potential (Shagavah, 2019). Generally, breastfeeding is beneficial to the child’s growth; however, some challenges are experienced during the process.
Benefits of Breast Feeding
Breastfeeding confers long-term and short-term protective effects on the child and the mother. Infants receiving breast milk have minimal cases of chronic and acute childhood infections and illnesses. For example, during childhood and infancy, breastfeeding lowers the risk of atopic dermatitis, infant mortality, sudden infant death syndrome, allergic diseases, gastrointestinal infections, and lower and upper respiratory tract infections (Shagavah, 2019). The secretory IgA in breast milk protects the child from GIT infections by preventing intestinal bacteria from crossing the gut mucosa. Secreted immunoglobulins block bacterial interaction with epithelium by coating intestinal bacteria. Therefore, if the incidence of bacterial infection is reduced among children, the mortality rate will also decrease. Also, breastfeeding extends its health benefits to dental health, reduces the risk of obesity and overweight, and lowers the chances of diabetes (Shagavah, 2019).
Breastfeeding is beneficial as mothers can breastfeed their babies anywhere, anytime. This is possible as they will not require bottle preparation or mixing formula. When mothers travel with their babies, breastfeeding can provide a comfort zone for infants whose routines are interfered with. Another benefit is that breastfeeding is considered the best source of nutrition for childhood or infancy (Shagavah, 2019). As the babies grow, the breast milk will also change to meet their nutritional requirements. Human milk consists of water and nutrients, constituting about 85% and 15%, respectively: 1% protein, 7% carbohydrates, and 4%lipids. Also, human milk contains various minerals, including calcium, magnesium, sodium, phosphate, and phosphorus. All these nutrients and minerals aid in the general wellness of a child’s health (Shagavah, 2019).
The health benefits of breastfeeding to mothers include lowering the cases of postpartum depression, ovarian and breast cancer, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and cardiovascular disease. Comparison between breastfeeding and never breastfeeding shows a significant health benefit to both mother and child. However, research has shown that the duration and exclusivity of maternal breastfeeding are associated with higher health benefits to both the mother and the baby (Ranjitha et al., 2023). Increasing breastfeeding duration is essential as it promotes health benefits. The health benefits to mothers are that breastfeeding burns extra body calories; therefore, it can help them reduce pregnancy weight faster. Breastfeeding helps produce oxytocin hormone, which helps reduce the uterus to standard size and may reduce maternal uterus bleeding. Ovarian cancer and osteoporosis risk are reduced as breastfeeding will help to balance hormonal levels in the body. Lastly, breastfeeding saves money as it is free compared to complementary food and formula feeding (Ranjitha et al., 2023).
Challenges of Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding is a recommended nutrient supply for young babies; however, mothers face some challenges which hinder breastfeeding. Multiple social, economic, cultural, occupational, and environmental factors hinder breastfeeding. Other factors include low educational level, young age, parental knowledge and attitude about breastfeeding, return and employment to work, and lack of family support (Tampah-Naah et al., 2019). Collectively, these factors impact mothers’ decision to breastfeed their babies. The majority of the factors can be modified; for example, a low level of education can be enhanced by promoting breastfeeding programs in healthcare facilities and at community levels. Some mothers lack or have little knowledge and understanding about breastfeeding before and even after pregnancy. Most breastfeeding mothers only know that breast milk provides the required nutrition to the child. However, they are unaware that human milk is essential to the baby’s development, growth, and health. Also, most women must be aware of the health-related risks of infant formula feeding, a common challenge to breastfeeding (Nuampa et al., 2022).
Social norm is another challenge for breastfeeding mothers. Some cultures value bottle feeding as a regular way of feeding babies and do not value mother-to-child contact feeding. Lack of support from partners, family, and friends can affect mothers’ perceptions of breastfeeding. Negative attitudes, lack of knowledge, and belief about breast milk from family and friends can be unsupportive towards breastfeeding. Embarrassment in public feeding of babies has been a significant barrier to maternal breastfeeding. In addition, lactation problems are another challenge, as breastfeeding mothers can encounter problems during the early weeks, which may hinder them from continuing. The last challenge is that returning to work before six months of breastfeeding affects breastfeeding by mothers (Nuampa et al., 2022).
Conclusion
Generally, breastfeeding is essential as it supplies vital nutrients and minerals for child growth, development, and health. Also, it promotes maternal health by reducing the risk of postpartum depression, type 2 diabetes, ovarian and cancer disease, and loss of pregnancy weight. However, breastfeeding has encountered challenges, including low educational and socioeconomic levels, young age, and mothers’ occupations.
References
Nuampa, S., Chanprapaph, P., Tilokskulchai, F., & Sudphet, M. (2022). Breastfeeding challenges among Thai adolescent mothers: Hidden breastfeeding discontinuation experiences. Journal of Health Research, 36(1), 12-22. https://www.proquest.com/central/docview/2619059806/fulltext/7B6E2D28FE2D426CPQ/1?accountid=158399
Ranjitha, R., Maroof, K. A., Rajoura, O. P., & Shah, D. (2023). Workplace Breastfeeding Support and Breastfeeding Practices among Healthcare Professionals. Indian Journal of Community Medicine, 48(3), 453-458. https://journals.lww.com/ijcm/fulltext/2023/48030/workplace_breastfeeding_support_and_breastfeeding.13.aspx
Shagavah, A. W. (2019). Infant Feeding Experiences and Breastfeeding Trajectory of African American Women and Their Family Support Persons: An Interpretive Phenomenological Inquiry (Doctoral dissertation, Saint Louis University). https://journals.lww.com/ijcm/fulltext/2023/48030/workplace_breastfeeding_support_and_breastfeeding.13.aspx
Tampah-Naah, A. M., Kumi-Kyereme, A., & Amo-Adjei, J. (2019). Maternal challenges of exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding in Ghana. PloS one, 14(5), e0215285. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0215285
write