Breastfeeding Makes a Difference

By Amy Levendusky

There are significant differences between breastfed babies and babies who are not breastfed. Breastfeeding boosts babies' immune systems, protects against some chronic illnesses (including some cancers), saves money for families and societies, saves lives by preventing illness, and helps babies develop greater language skills and higher intelligence as they grow.

Human milk provides all the nutrients a baby needs in exactly the right proportions. Breastfed babies are healthier than formula-fed babies because they are less likely to contract respiratory, gastrointestinal diseases, and allergies. When breastfed babies do get sick, their symptoms are milder than those of formula-fed babies.

An article in the Journal of the American Medical Association published in May 2002 confirmed that breastfed babies are smarter and have higher Intelligence Quotas (IQs) than babies that were not breastfed. The presence of docosohexanoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (AA) in human milk may be one of the reasons that breastfed babies develop better language skills and have higher IQs as they grow. These discoveries have led to recommendations to add DHA to infant formulas.

It's important to remember that breastmilk is produced as a result of the action of hormones and reflexes. Every time the baby suckles at the breast he stimulates the nerve endings in the nipple. These nerves carry messages to the brain, which makes the hormone prolactin. Then the prolactin goes into the blood to the breasts and makes them secrete more milk. The more the baby suckles the breast, the more milk will be produced.

If the baby suckles less, the breasts make less milk. If the baby stops suckling or if he never starts, the breasts stop making milk. If a mother has twins and they both breastfeed, then her breasts will make the extra milk that two babies need. There is a common misconception on Pohnpei that the more the mother eats, the more breastmilk she will produce. The mother is even supposed to wake up in the middle of the night to eat, mwengehn pwong. But it is really the baby's suckling that makes the breasts produce milk.

It is also important for the mother to be positive and happy and not to worry because this can stop her milk from flowing. A woman should be confident that she can breastfeed, as this also will help her milk flow well.

Breastfeeding helps the mother lose weight after pregnancy. Breastfeeding also helps protect the mother later against breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and urinary tract infection.

The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) along with the United Nations Children's Fund and the World Health Organization recommend exclusive breastfeeding up to 6 months, meaning only breastmilk, not even water, should be given for the first 6 months. Giving your baby any other liquids or solid food before 6 months increases their risk of infection. It is also advised to continue breastfeeding to two years and beyond.

We thank the La Leche League International for their booklet titled "Breastfeeding Makes a Difference" for the information for this article. For further questions, readers may contact Ms. Berno Hedson, the Pohnpei Breastfeeding Focal Point, at the Pohnpei State Hospital.