Breast milk or formula?

Breast milk or formula?

Breast milk is the perfect food for your baby. It contains the right amount of nutrients. It is also gentle on your baby's stomach, intestines and other organs. It is recommended that you breastfeed your baby until he is 6 months old, then give him solid foods for at least 1-2 years.

 

Benefits of breast milk
Here are some reasons why breastfeeding is best for your baby:

Healthy food
Compared to cow's milk, the nutrients in breast milk are better absorbed and used by your baby. These include sugar (carbohydrate) and protein.

Breast milk has the best nutrients for your baby's brain development and nervous system development. Studies of breastfed babies have found that they do better on intelligence tests as they grow up.

A breastfed baby's eyes also function better. This is mainly due to certain types of fat in breast milk.

 

Prevention of infections
Breast milk has many disease-fighting factors. They prevent mild and severe infections and hospitalizations.

Breastfed babies have fewer digestive, lung and ear infections.

Babies born prematurely and breastfed are also less likely to get a serious infection of the intestines called NEC (necrotizing enterocolitis).

 

Prevention of other cases
Breast milk helps protect babies from many serious health problems.

Breastfed babies have a lower risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) than non-breastfed babies.

Lower risk of allergy-related asthma and skin problems. Milk allergy is more common in formula-fed babies.

There is less chance of diarrhea. Formula can actually change the healthy bacteria in a baby's gut. Bacteria aid digestion and fight disease.

Long-term health problems decrease as you get older. These include diabetes and obesity.

Breastfeeding women also reap many health benefits. If you are breastfeeding, you are more likely to lose the weight you gained during pregnancy. You are also less likely to develop breast and ovarian cancer later, as well as diabetes.