Breastfeeding is the most natural and beneficial source of nourishment for infants. Breast milk has all the nutrients infants need to be strong and healthy.
Health Benefits
for Your Baby
The cells, hormones, and antibodies in breastmilk help protect babies from illness. This protection is unique and changes every day to meet your baby’s growing needs.
Research shows that breastfed babies have lower risks of:
- Asthma
- Leukemia (during childhood)
- Obesity (during childhood)
- Ear infections
- Eczema (atopic dermatitis)
- Diarrhea and vomiting
- Lower respiratory infections
- Necrotizing (NEK-roh-TEYE-zing) enterocolitis (en-TUR-oh-coh-LYT-iss), a disease that affects the gastrointestinal tract in premature babies, or babies born before 37 weeks of pregnancy
- Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
- Type 2 diabetes
Health Benefits
for You
Breastfeeding helps a mother’s health and healing following childbirth. Mothers who breastfeed their babies have a lower risk of:
- Breast and ovarian cancers
- Diabetes (type 2)
- High blood pressure
There are so many more reasons to breastfeed
- Helps create a stronger mother-child bond
- Cost effective
- May help with weight loss
- Can reduces the risk of depression
Source: Office on Womens Health
