Friday, September 5, 2014

The Benefits of Breastfeeding


Breastfeeding is, in fact, such a natural physiological process that we tend to believe that this practice could easily be adopted as a choice rather than a necessity. Since ancient times, mothers have perceived breastfeeding as a necessity; however, due to industrialization and other social influences, breastfeeding was casted aside. As soon as they were given the choice between breastfeeding and boxed milk, they preferred to choose ease rather than necessity. Today, the emphasis is now given on measures aimed at supporting and promoting breastfeeding, so that they are strengthened even more so that moms realize that there is no true substitute for breast milk.

In the past, support in a traditional way was provided by older women in the family and in the community, especially during the first 40 days after delivery. However, as societies evolve, especially with urbanization, more and more nuclear families emerged to the point that other members of the family may be far away. In addition, the pressure to return back to work is also steadily increasing. These are some of the factors that are responsible for the disappearance of this period of maternal care to infants. The theme which had been chosen this year for the World Breastfeeding Week is “Breastfeeding: A Winning Goal for Life”. Due to the fact that with the decline in breastfeeding rates, the need to continue to promote breastfeeding as an essential part of child development and maternal health is being felt more than ever.