Dr Arti Gupta : Breastfeeding

MBBS, MS (Obstetrics and Gynaecology)
Associate Professor – Career Medical College, Lucknow
Ex Consultant – District Government Hospital

What Is Breastfeeding?.

Breastfeeding is when you feed your baby breast milk, usually directly from your breast. It’s also called nursing or chestfeeding. Making the decision to breastfeed is a personal matter. It's also one that's likely to draw opinions from your friends and family.

Many medical experts, including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, strongly recommend breastfeeding exclusively (no formula, juice, or water) for 6 months. After the introduction of other foods, it recommends continuing to breastfeed through the baby’s first year of life.

How often you should breastfeed your baby depends on whether your baby prefers small, frequent meals or longer feedings. This will change as your baby grows. Newborns often want to feed every 2-3 hours. By 2 months, feeding every 3-4 hours is common, and by 6 months, most babies feed every 4-5 hours.

Benefits of Breastfeeding

Research suggests that breastfeeding lowers your baby’s risk of certain diseases and helps build a strong immune system. Breastfed (chestfed) babies have a lower risk of:

Diarrhea, vomiting and preterm necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC).

Respiratory infections like pneumonia, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and whooping cough.

Ear infections.

Bacterial meningitis.

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and infant mortality.

Childhood obesity.

Eczema.

Type 2 diabetes later in life.

Leukemia (in childhood).

Cavities and future orthodontic problems for babies less than one year of age.

Celiac disease and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Studies show that breastfed infants have a lower hospitalization rate and tend to be in better health. This leads to fewer visits to their pediatrician for sicknesses.