As a natural act of feeding newborn and young children with the mother’s milk from her breast, breastfeeding is practiced worldwide. At the same time, in the present day, with the development of technologies, it has become optional. It goes without saying that breastfeeding has multiple obvious advantages, however, there are considerable disadvantages of this process as well. Whatever the reasons for breastfeeding or formula feeding, a woman has a right to make the personal decision that will be the most appropriate for her and her family.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Breastfeeding
The main and the most obvious advantage of breastfeeding is determined by the significance of the mother’s milk for the child’s health. In other words, for a newborn, breast milk is regarded as the best food that provides a substantial variety of developmental benefits. It protects a child from various diseases during infancy and contributes to the general improvement of his or her health. Moreover, breast milk is highly beneficial during acute infections that frequently cause infants’ death (Espósito & Córdoba, 2018). In addition, as breast milk is produced by the woman’s body specifically for her child, its formula improves the newborn’s digestion and helps to prevent colic, gas, diarrhea, and constipation. Breast milk is highly beneficial for the woman’s health as well as it helps her to recover from childbirth in a relatively short period of time. In addition, breastfeeding minimizes the risk of breast, endometrial, and ovarian cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension (Nadeem, et al., 2017). It additionally serves as birth control due to the delay of the period for several months during breastfeeding. Finally, breastfeeding may be regarded as convenient and economically efficient. A woman may breastfeed her child in any place and does not have a necessity to buy infant formula on a regular basis.
The disadvantages of breastfeeding traditionally include the limitation of the woman’s freedom as she should be available for frequent feeding at any time of the day or night. In addition, breastfeeding may have not only advantages for the woman’s health but negative consequences as well, including sore nipples, breast engorgement, and mastitis. Another potential disadvantage of breastfeeding is connected with the inevitable change of the mother’s lifestyle as this process requires a specific diet that may improve the quality of breast milk.
The practice of breastfeeding may be substantially challenging for mothers who decide to work when their children need to be exclusively nursed. First of all, breastfeeding is partially replaced by breast pumping in order to keep milk supplies for subsequent feeding during the mother’s absence. However, this method cannot be regarded as efficient as working mother frequently experience tension at work and a lack of support due to breast pumping. In addition, their closeness with children that is formed in the process of breastfeeding may be limited.
Formula Feeding
In recent years, due to certain medical limitations or personal preference, a substantive number of women have started to choose formula feeding as an alternative to breastfeeding. In fact, it has several considerable advantages, such as the absence of comfort and mobility limitations. It is not necessary for a formula-feeding mother to keep a special diet as any food that she eats cannot influence a child’s digestion. Moreover, it is not necessary for her to be available for a child all the time and organize her activities according to the feeding schedule as a father or another caregiver can provide formula. In addition, formula-fed children eat less frequently in comparison with breast-fed children, as the formula is considerably less digestive. Formula feeding is optional for modest mothers in particular as they do not need to search for a private place to nurse.
The most significant disadvantage of formula feeding is connected with its poor contribution to the improvement of a child’s health. In fact, the manufactured formula does not contain any antibodies of breast milk and it cannot properly protect the child’s organism against illnesses (Al-Mamari, et al., 2017). That is why “infectious and allergic diseases are common among bottle fed children” (Al-Mamari, et al., 2017, p. 82). Moreover, as the ideal formula that can duplicate the breast milk’s composition does not exist, formula-fed children may have firmer bowel movements and more gas comparing with breast-fed infants. And it goes without saying that formulas may be considerably expensive.
Legislation
The significance of breastfeeding is emphasized by the majority of pediatricians all over the world. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), breastfeeding is highly valuable both for mothers and children (Al-Mamari, et al., 2017). In the present day, they recommend exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of the child’s life. In addition, breastfeeding has particular significance for premature children and protects against diabetes, asthma, obesity, allergies, indigestion, and sudden infant death syndrome (Al-Mamari, et al., 2017). However, in the United States, almost 30% of children are not breastfed, and, as a result, they do not receive all required nutrients presented in breast milk (Al-Mamari, et al., 2017). Although the rate of breastfeeding is currently growing, this issue attracts particular attention from health organizations.
References
Al-Mamari, T. M., Al-Ghafri, M. S., Al-Wahaibi, M. S., Ambusaidi, S. A., & Hassan, H. S. (2017). Breastfeeding and bottle (formula) feeding habits among Omani babies. Madridge Journal of Nursing, 2(2), 81-86. Web.
Espósito, M., & Córdoba, J. P. (2018). Advantages of breastfeeding during acute infections: What the evidence says. Current Tropical Medicine Reports, 5, 204-210.
Nadeem, A., Nadeem, J., Sarwar, M. H., & Sarwar, M. (2017). Making the decision to breastfeed the baby and its advantages for women’s health. American Journal of Food Science and Health, 3(5), 88-94. Web.