The World Health Organization recommends that babies are exclusively breast-fed until they reach 6 months of age. Thereafter, babies should be fed with both breast milk and appropriate foods up to 2 years of age or beyond. Breast milk carries many benefits, both nutritional and non-nutritional. According to the “Manual of Dietetic Practice,” advantages of breastfeeding include a decreased risk of infection during the infant’s early life, a reduced risk of crib death, and better emotional bonding between the child and mother.
Oligosaccharides
Breast milk contains a special type of carbohydrate called oligosaccharides, which as reported in the June 1999 issue of “Clinics in Perinatology,” have a prebiotic effect. A prebiotic is a substance that encourages the growth of beneficial intestinal bacteria. This is important during early life, as the infant’s gut contains no bacteria at birth. Oligosaccharides in breast milk are believed to be one of the main reasons why breast-fed infants have lower rates of gastrointestinal infections.
Protein
The protein in breast milk is mostly whey, while the protein in cow’s milk and formula milk is mostly casein. Whey is much more easily digested and absorbed than casein is, and it puts less strain on the infant’s digestive tract. In addition, breast milk contains special proteins including immunoglobulin A and lysozyme. The former has an antibacterial and an antiviral effect and the latter is antibacterial.
DHA
Breast milk is rich in the essential fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid, DHA. An article in the 2005 issue of “Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition” reports that many infant formulas do not contain DHA, and breast-fed infants have higher levels of DHA than formula-fed infants do. DHA is essential for brain and eye development, and some studies show that visual acuity of breast-fed infants is better than that of formula fed ones, the article reports. Similarly, breast-fed infants tend to score better on intelligence tests than formula fed ones do, although a number of confounding factors are in operation that could influence the association. For example, mothers with higher educational levels are more likely to breast-feed.
Vitamins and Minerals
Breast milk contains all the essential vitamins and minerals that a baby needs. In addition, the May 1994 issue of “Pharmacology & Therapeutics” reported that neither overdoses nor deficiencies in the mother's micronutrient intake alter the supply to the baby in breast milk. Furthermore, the vitamins and minerals in human milk are more easily absorbed than those found in cow milk and formula milk, and do not strain the kidneys as much.
References
- World Health Organization; Breastfeeding
- "Manual of Dietetic Practice, 4th Edition"; T. Briony and J. Bishop; 2007
- “Clinics in Perinatology”; Nutritional and Biochemical Properties of Human Milk, Part I: General Aspects, Proteins, and Carbohydrates; C. Kunz, et al.; June 1999
- “Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition; Dietary PUFA for Preterm and Term Infants: Review of Clinical Studies; M. Fleith, et al.; 2005
- “Pharmacology & Therapeutics”; Breast Milk as a Source of Vitamins, Essential Minerals and Trace Elements; C.J. Bates, et al.; May 1994
