by Mary Gillmon

Created on: April 08, 2008

We have all heard the adage that "breast is best"; however, an expectant mother needs to know the reasons behind the adage in order to make decisions about feeding her baby. Why is breastfeeding the best choice? The multitude of reasons can be grouped into three main categories: the health of the baby, the health of the mother, and the richness of the relationship between them.

Human breast-milk is designed for human babies, and it has the exact components necessary to grow healthy infants. The nutrients, including fats, vitamins, and minerals, are just what the baby needs for proper brain development and body growth. Recent research has proven that breast-milk contains complex and unique combinations of nutrients; even the formula companies acknowledge this, with their constant attempts to mimic breast-milk more closely than any other company. Breast-milk is so complex, however, that scientists have not even identified all the ingredients. Formula companies are unable to synthetically copy all of the healthy components of breast-milk.

In addition to the nutrients in breast-milk, breastfeeding also builds healthy babies by constructing the baby's immune system. Babies receive their early immune system from their mothers, first in utero, and then through breast-milk. Colostrum, the early "milk" that mothers produce for the first few days of the baby's life, is especially rich in antibodies. Later milk continues to provide immunity to baby. A child's immune system is not properly developed before age two; for this reason, the World Health Organization recommends nursing until two years of age for all babies. The stronger immune systems of breastfed babies have been documented to result in far fewer ear infections and much less asthma.

Another healthy benefit of breast-milk is that breast-milk is a dynamic liquid, and it changes to suit the baby's needs throughout the course of breastfeeding. The protein and fat ratios will adjust, both throughout the day and throughout the baby's nursing years. The components of breast-milk for a newborn are different than those for a toddler; they are also different at the beginning of a feeding than at the end. For example, if a baby takes just a snack, the milk at the front of the breast is light in fat and protein. If the baby latches on for a long drink, the milk in the back of the breast is much heavier, and will provide not only good nutrients but also a sleepy, full tummy. A toddler, who is getting many of his or her nutrients

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