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What are the advantages of Human Milk?
Unique
adaptations.
Only human milk is uniquely adapted to the needs of human infants, and
indeed to the individual human infant. For example, for a baby
born prematurely, the mother’s milk has a higher nitrogen content than milk
produced by a mother of a term infant. If a mother and her infant are
exposed to a pathogen, such as an enterovirus causing diarrhea, the
mother's milk will contain immunoglobulins to that pathogen and thus provide
protection for the infant. The content of human milk varies from day to day
and even from the beginning to the end of a feeding in a manner adapted to
the needs of the individual infant.
Ease of
digestion.
One major advantages
of human milk is the relative ease of digestion. Human milk contains 70%
whey proteins and 30% casein proteins, a ratio nearly opposite that of
bovine (cow's) milk. The whey protein is generally more easily digested and
promotes gastric emptying. The major whey protein is alpha-lactalbumin.
Increased
immunological protection.
Another major advantage of human milk is increased immunological protection.
Studies of breast fed infants consistently show decreased rates of otitis
media, gastroenteritis and a variety of other infections; and the effect is
dose-dependent. Lactoferrin, lysozyme and secretory IgA are whey proteins
involved in host defense which are not available to infants who are
formula-fed. It is estimated that optimal breast feeding world-wide
would save an estimated 1 million lives each year from death by infection.
Other
advantages.
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Decreased risk and severity of
allergic-mediated conditions, including asthma
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Enhanced
maternal-infant bonding
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Improved long-term
cognitive and motor skills in the infant
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More rapid
post-partum weight loss and uterine involution following delivery
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Decreased risk of
necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm infants
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Decreased incidence
of urinary tract infections
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Protection against
Crohn's disease, lymphoma, certain subtypes of type I diabetes mellitus
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Decreased risk of
pre-menopausal breast cancer in women who breast feed their infants
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Economic benefits
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