A specialist from the University of Talca highlighted the advantages of this practice. It reduces the probability of cancer in the mother and strengthens the immune system in the child.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), improving the rate of breastfeeding could save the lives of around 825 thousand children a year. For this reason, specialists have stressed the importance of carrying out this practice exclusively during the first six months, and, in a complementary way until two years of life, which helps protect against disease and death.
The professor from the School of Nutrition and Dietetics of the University of Talca, María Jesús Cataldo, explained that both mother and child benefit from breastfeeding. “The child is protected from illnesses, since breast milk has a large amount of immunoglobulin that prevents diarrhea, ear infections and some types of pneumonia that are common in newborns. Studies also show that there is greater motor development,” she indicated.
Another positive aspect, according to the professor, is that it helps digestion, because it contains some digestive enzymes, it allows iron to be better absorbed, due to its large amount of nutrients, such as Vitamin C and proteins and because of the pH of breast milk.
Cataldo added that the main benefit for babies is attachment. “Physical contact between mother and child allows for greater acuity in the child’s sensory patterns, that is, better taste and better smell, among others,” she said.
Prevent cancer
The UTalca professor stressed that mothers also benefit from breastfeeding. “It helps prevent breast and ovarian cancer. Studies have shown that women who do not breastfeed are 4% more likely to suffer from breast cancer and 27% more likely to suffer from ovarian cancer,” she explained.
This also allows for better postpartum recovery, as it allows you to regain your pre-pregnancy weight, reduces fertility during breastfeeding and lowers the chances of suffering from osteoporosis.
In some cases, Cataldo said, it prevents postpartum depression because this practice produces hormones that promote mental well-being.
Regarding the causes that would lead to a decrease in breast milk production, the specialist explained that, “it is generally due to causes of stress in the mother such as family or work problems, however, the most common problem is due to poor sucking by the baby, that is, the less milk the baby takes, the less milk the mother’s body will produce, because it mistakenly perceives that the need is less.”
To prevent this, the academic pointed out that, “the baby’s latching on to the breast or the length of time he or she is breastfeeding should be evaluated” to stimulate milk production again.
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