"If a new vaccine became available that could prevent one million or more child deaths per year that was moreover cheap, safe and administered orally, it would become an immediate health imperative...." -The Lancet Add to the above protection from middle ear infections, diarrhea, upper respiratory infections, allergies, asthma, juvenile-onset diabetes, meningitis and certain childhood cancers. Also an increase in your child's IQ by 8-9 points and no smelly bowel movements. You'd be standing in line to give all this to your child, no doubt. The good news is you don't have to stand in any lines for this. The vaccine is none other than nature's own: breastmilk. One teaspoon of breastmilk has 3,000,000 germ-killing cells to protect a baby from all that he gets exposed to on a day-to-day basis. No matter the baby's age, those antibodies are always there. It's no wonder the American Academy of Pediatrics came out in such overwhelming support of breastfeeding in their policy statement that infants should receive breastmilk for a minimum of one year and beyond that if it's working for the family. Some people may balk at that one year figure. It's important to acknowledge that our culture is not so breastfeeding-friendly. We seem to suffer a bit of amnesia, however, forgetting that not too long ago our grandmothers and great-grandmothers nursed our parents and grandparents beyond a year and they didn't know anything about AAP recommendations. Why we feel the need to wean our babies quickly from the breast or not nurse them at all is a complex issue. One explanation is that our society very much values independence and we don't want our children to be too clingy. Why we feel the need to teach them all this independence before they can even walk or talk, though, is beyond comprehension. We have eighteen years or so to help them become self sufficient. Perhaps we could cut them some slack for that first year or two. Another factor is also cultural and it's the No. 1 reason moms might not even consider breastfeeding: Breasts are fine on a billboard or in a magazine selling beer or cars, they're great to show off in a slinky swimsuit or dress, but to feed a baby? Again, amnesia. Feeding babies is the breasts' purpose. Instead of embarrassing a mom who is breastfeeding her baby by giving her a disapproving look, why not give her a smile? After all, a breastfeeding mother is doing important work that benefits her whole community. If all US newborns were breastfed for just twelve weeks, our nation would save $2.4 billion per year. Those are your tax dollars. Two requests we might make of expectant parents would be to love their baby enough to put his needs above their own during pregnancy and the early years, and to get informed about breastfeeding during their pregnancy. It is a shame to see a mom choose to formula feed only because no one told her about breastfeeding. Whether a mom decides to breastfeed for six weeks, six months or past a year, she'll be giving her baby something priceless no one else can give him: nature's vaccine. No waiting in line, either. -Kendall Cox
Reprinted from Midwifery Today E-News (Vol 1 Issue 39, Sep 24, 1999)
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