Breastfeeding is the foundation of life. This is the emphasis of this year’s Breastfeeding Week which is celebrated annually from 1 to 7 August across the globe, highlighting the advantages of breastfeeding for communities and countries.
According to Chantell Witten, a senior lecturer and breastfeeding expert at the North-West University, breastfeeding is acknowledged and lauded as an essential strategy to combat the impacts of poor nutrition and slow growth and development in babies and children up to the age of five years.
Chantell adds that not only is breastmilk a superfood for babies, but it is also uniquely designed to provide babies with immune-building power and has brain-boosting properties.
Two of the important health benefits of breastfeeding is brain development and the prevention of obesity.
Breastfeeding prevents childhood and adult obesity
Obesity is one of the most serious health problems facing both children and adults today. Childhood obesity often leads to adult obesity, which causes many health problems including heart disease, diabetes, and even early death.
Chantell states that researchers are learning more and more about how breastfeeding can help prevent obesity. “Breast milk is easy to digest and very nutritious, and your child helps decide when and how much to eat. Both breast milk and the way your baby feeds help the child to develop healthy eating patterns,” she says. She adds that breastfed babies seem to be able to regulate their food intake better and thus are at a lower risk of becoming obese.
Breastfeeding is a smart choice for babies
According to Chantell, a 2013 study from Browns University used specialised, baby friendly magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to look at the brain growth in a group of children under the age of four years.
“The research found that by the age of two, babies who had been breastfed exclusively for at least three months had enhanced development in key parts of the brain compared to children who were fed formula exclusively or who were fed a combination of formula and breastmilk,” she says. Chantell adds that the extra growth was most pronounced in parts of the brain associated with language, emotional function and cognition.
She states that this was not the first study to show that breastfeeding is the smart choice for young bodies and minds. Previous behavioural studies found that breastfeeding was associated with better cognitive outcomes in older adolescents and adults.
“Breastfeeding is a smart choice, and we hope to encourage more women to breastfeed their children because of all the benefits it holds,” concludes Chantell.
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