Breastmilk information and articles from the blog of GetzWell Pediatrics, a pediatrician group in the Bay Area.

breastmilk

Breastmilk information and articles from the blog of GetzWell Pediatrics, a pediatrician group in the Bay Area.

Breast Milk: A Key Ingredient For A Healthy Baby

At GetzWell, we proudly stand behind the “Breast is the Best!” mantra. Why? Research continues to uncover the inextricable link between breast milk and your baby’s long term health. While we recognize there are circumstances that prevent breast feeding and honor a mother’s decision, whatever it is, to feed her baby as best she can, we’re excited to share some amazing facts and the over allhealth benefits of Mother Nature’s perfect baby food.

Benefits of Breastfeeding

This past January Surgeon General Regina M. Benjamin announced the The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding.  Due to mounting evidence of breastfeeding’s myriad health benefits she declared its promotion a national priority.  Indeed, most people have heard about the passage of immunities from mothers to their breastfed infants, but few parents have been informed that formula-fed babies are at higher risk for developing lower respiratory infections, asthma, atopic dermatitis, obesity, necrotizing enterocolitis, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, childhood leukemia, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).  In fact, the Surgeon General estimates that if 90% of mothers breastfed exclusively for 6 months, nearly 1,000 deaths among infants could be prevented annually!