This is world Breastfeeding week.

• Many medical experts, including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, strongly recommend breastfeeding exclusively (no formula, juice, or water) for 6 months. And breastfeeding for a year at least with other foods which should be started at 6 months of age, such as vegetables, grains, fruits, proteins.
• Benefits of Breastfeeding: Protects against

· bacteremia

· diarrhea

· respiratory tract infection

· necrotizing enterocolitis

· otitis media

· urinary tract infection

· late-onset sepsis in preterm infants

· type 1 and type 2 diabetes

· lymphoma, leukemia, and Hodgkins disease

· childhood overweight and obesity

There are also maternal health benefits to breastfeeding such as:

· decreased postpartum bleeding and more rapid uterine involution

· decreased menstrual blood loss and increased child spacing (lactational amenorrhea)

· earlier return to prepregnancy weight

· decreased risk of breast and ovarian cancers

• Who should NOT Breastfeed?

The only true contraindications to breastfeeding are the following:

· infants with classic galactosemia (galactose 1-phosphate uridyltransferase deficiency)

· mothers, in the US, who are infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

• MYTHS about Breastfeeding:

You may breastfeed even with the following conditions:

· infants born to mothers who are hepatitis B surface antigen-positive

· mothers who are infected with hepatitis C virus (persons with hepatitis C virus antibody or hepatitis C virus-RNA-positive blood)

· mothers who are febrile (unless cause is a contraindication outlined in the previous section)

· mothers who have been exposed to low-level environmental chemical agents

· mothers who are seropositive carriers of cytomegalovirus (CMV) (not recent converters if the infant is term)

· mothers who smoke tobacco (though they should be encouraged to quit) or have an occasional celebratory drink

· the great majority of babies with jaundice or hyperbilirubinemia can continue to be breastfed without interruption

• Breastfeeding and Covid-19: Research so far has not detected the ‘replication-competent active Covid virus’ in breast milk. However, limited evidence has detected strands of the viral RNA in breastmilk, which is not capable of causing infection in the baby. Thus, “breastfeeding benefits outweigh the potential risks of transmission and illness associated with Covid19”. Though the virus does not pass through breastmilk, there is a chance of spread through respiratory droplets/contact, which can be minimized if you sanitize and wear a mask before touching the baby.

Source: Internet & Others

The views expressed in this article should not be considered as a substitute for a physician’s advice. Always make sure to seek a doctor or a professional’s advice before proceeding with the home treatment plan.