Importance of breastfeeding

      Breastfeeding is the process of feeding the human breast milk to a young baby which increases the immunity power of the baby to fight against harmful diseases and for proper development and growth of the body. It is the biological process. Breast milk is highly preferred for child up to 6 months and after weaning period providing complementary healthy foods along with breast milk up to 2 years of age which helps in proper development of the brain and body organs. Breast milk is highly encouraged for mothers to feed their infants.
Breastfeeding process is widely encouraged all over the world. Breast milk contains antibacterial, antifungal agents and antibodies which help to combat against harmful germs, viruses and bacteria. Colostrums, which are yellow in color, sticky in touch have a very nutritious value after the delivery of birth of the infant. Such yellowish breast milk should be feed within in one hour of birth of the infant. But in most of the under developed countries, colostrums are thrown as they have the wrong concept that colostrums is harmful for infants. Breast milk is easily digestible and it plays a vital role in preventing infants from various diseases like diarrhea, dysentery, jaundice, diabetes, asthma, constipation, childhood cancers, pulmonary diseases, higher cholesterol, cataracts, gastroenteritis, dental caries and many more infectious diseases. Nowadays, mother does not feed breast milk but they feed artificial milks also called as bottle feeding, which is not as nutritive as breast milk. It decreases the immunity power of the babies and has to suffer from diarrhea, ear infections, dysentery, respiratory infection, asthma, jaundice and many more infectious diseases. It helps child to protect from childhood obesity and decreases the child mortality rate. Breastfeeding helps to keep the bond very strong of the mother and child as they have physical closeness and eyes contacts. It helps to decrease the weight of the mothers and prevents them of being obese. It helps to decrease the risk of cervical cancer, uterus cancer, breast cancer and osteoporosis of the mother. The best technique of breastfeeding is taught for mothers after delivery in the health institutions. If there is no proper technique of breastfeeding, the significance of the nutritive values in breast milk is very low. Breast milk need not to be prepared, worry about its hotness, coldness, saves time and it is nutritious to child health. Mothers have to consume nutritious diet for producing more breast milk. Bottle milk is costly, less nutritive, consumes much time to prepare and have to worry about its hotness and coldness. Breast milk should be fed more than 8 times at day time and even at night times until six months as it is easily digestible. It is a good practice as it kills thirst and provides nutrition like carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals to the babies. Most of the mothers worry about the looks of the breasts and discontinue breastfeeding but many researchers have found that it does not have any effects on breasts. Sometimes, it brings problems as the mothers have to return to work very soon and child may suffer a lot. It is highly prevalent in African mothers as they lack supportive environment.
Breastfeeding is the natural phenomenon in the world. It is the appropriate readymade foods for babies containing high nutritive values. Mothers should be given more information and knowledge about the benefits of breast milk to their young ones through different social media like television, newspaper and internet. It increases the brain growth and deep love between mother and baby.