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About Essential Nutrition Actions at Critical Stages in the Life Cycle of Women and Children

Benefits of Breastfeeding for the Infant/Young Child

1. Breast milk saves infants' lives.
    
2. It is a whole food for the infant and contains all the needed nutrients for his/her first 6 months in balanced proportions and sufficient quantities.
    
3. It promotes adequate growth and development, thus preventing stunting.
    
4. It is always clean.
    
5. It contains antibodies that protect against diseases, especially against diarrhoea and respiratory infections.
    
6. It is always ready and at the right temperature.
    
7. It is easy to digest. Nutrients are well absorbed.
    
8. It protects against allergies. Breast milk antibodies protect the baby's gut preventing harmful substances from passing into the blood.
    
9. It contains enough water for the baby's needs (87% of water and minerals).
    
10. It helps jaw and teeth development; suckling develops facial muscles.
     
11. Frequent skin-to-skin contact between mother and infant leads to better psychomotor, emotional and social development of the infant.
     
12. The infant benefits from the colostrum, which protects him/her from disease. The colostrum acts as a laxative cleaning the infant's stomach.

Benefits of Breastfeeding for the Mother

1. Breastfeeding is more than 98% effective as a method of contraception during the first 6 months, provided that breastfeeding is exclusive and amenorrhea persists.
    
2. When the baby is breastfed immediately after birth, breast milk production is stimulated.
    
3. Immediate and frequent suckling prevents engorgement.
    
4. Breastfeeding reduces the mother's workload (no time is involved in boiling water, gathering fuel, on preparing milk).
    
5. Breast milk is available anytime and anywhere, is always clean, nutritious and at the right temperature.
    
6. It is economical.
    
7. It stimulates a bond between mother and baby.
    
8. Breastfeeding reduces the risk of pre-menopausal breast and ovarian cancer.

Benefits of Breastfeeding for the Family'

1. No expenses in buying infant formula, firewood or other fuel to boil water, milk or utensils. The money saved can be used to meet the family's other needs.
    
2. No medical expenses due to sickness that infant formula could cause. The mothers and their children are healthier.
    
3. As episodes of illness are reduced; the family encounters fewer emotional difficulties associated with the baby's illness.
    
4. Births are spaced due to the contraceptive effect.
    
5. Time is saved.
    
6. Feeding the baby reduces work because the milk is always available and ready.

Benefits of Breastfeeding for the Community/Nation

1. Not importing infant formula and utensils necessary for its preparation saves hard currencies that could be used for something else.
    
2. Healthy babies make a healthy nation.
    
3. Savings are made in the health area. A decrease in the number of child illnesses leads to decreased national expenses of treatments.
    
4. It improves child survival. Reduces child morbidity and mortality.
    
5. It protects the environment (trees are not used for firewood to boil water, milk and utensils). Breast milk is a natural renewable resource.

02 January, 2009