Child Development and Public Health - Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding

Many studies and research found that breastfeeding benefits to both mother and the baby. Even some research said breast milk is the best food for baby! 

Benefits to babies :

1. Protects your baby against disease and infection.
2.  May reduce the risk of childhood obesity.
3. Helps prevent your baby from developing allergies.
4. It's free!

Mothers benefit from breastfeeding

1. Save time– when your baby is hungry, breastfeeding is the fastest and most accessible way to satisfy your baby. You will not need to purchase, measure and mix formula!In addition, you will not need to wash and sterilize bottles!

2. Save $$ – Formula and feeding supplies can cost well over $1,500 each year, depending on how much your baby eats. Breastfed babies are also sick less often, which can lower health care costs.( U.S. Department of Health and Human Services )

3. Help Bonding – Breastfeeding helps develop bond when mother has physical contact with her baby. The skin-to-skin contact can boost the mother’s oxytocin (OKS-ee-TOH-suhn) levels. Oxytocin is a hormone that helps milk flow and can calm the mother..( U.S. Department of Health and Human Services )

4.      Good for Mother’s health – Breastfeeding is linked to a lower risk of these health problems in women: Type 2 diabetes, Breast cancer, Ovarian cancer & Postpartum depression.

5. Mothers miss less work – Breastfeeding mothers miss fewer days from work because their infants are sick less often.

Breastfeeding vs. Taboos

As government and doctors encourage mothers to breastfeed, however, we don’t it rarely see a mother breastfeed in public. I remembered there’s a new a year ago that a mother was breastfeeding in a café, but the owner thinks that was disturbing to his/her customers and then they refused to serve her. The mother tried to talk about her rights of breastfeed and the importance of it, however, the owner still rejected her. This mother is so mad, but instead of arguing with the own, she posted this story in a mother support blog. The next day that mother and a group of mother say in the café to breastfeed. The owners senses the anxiety of the mothers and start to understand the reason of breastfeed. And this time, he didn’t refuse them, instead, he treats the mothers food and drink. Most importantly, he put a sign says “breastfeeding welcome here” in his café.

I am so proud of the mothers in this news that they are able to stand up to fight for their rights. Breastfeeding should not be a taboo in the public. It is the right of women and their babies!

I also noticed that in my hometown, Hong Kong, China, breastfeeding in public is not common in public. Regardless how government and doctor recommend breastfeeding, they suggest women to breastfeed in the women’s lounge or public nursing room. I believe it is because of the cultural difference. People are still very conservative in many ways, especially to women; they are shy and feel breastfeeding in public is rude, indecent or disturbing.  Although there is policy protects the rights of breastfeeding in public, government did not promote breastfeeding in public. 

Reference:

http://www.ccfc.ca.gov/parents/health-center/nutrition/?a=breastfeeding&t=1367450877406#/?a=breastfeeding&gclid=CO6Xlsv_1roCFVRk7AodwE8AUg

http://www.womenshealth.gov/breastfeeding/why-breastfeeding-is-important/index.html

http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1150949/issue-breastfeeding-hong-kong