Breast Feeding!!!!!!

WK2 : Blog Assignment - EDUC-6160

Public Health Topic - Breast Feeding

Breast feeding as the chosen topic, has been promoted by the family planning clinics across one's country. This topic is a timely one, since it has some significance, because the experience of breast feeding is very special for various reasons. It enhances the child's health for survival, and provides well documented health benefits for the infant and mother. For example, mother and baby will have cheerful bonding, health benefits can be derived for both mother and baby, and the financial savings that could be had.

Oddly (2004), has postulated  that breast feeding also decreases the risk of many diseases that appear in childhood and adulthood, among them are asthma, obesity, and heart disease. However, breast milk contains the right balance of nutrients to help the infant grow into a strong and healthy toddler. Breast- fed babies are less likely to get sick, because breast milk provides them with antibodies against any disease to which the mother is immune.

Cultures around the world  vary in their child development beliefs and practices. Small (2001) claimed that infants and children around the world experience different types of care giving, yet, most achieve the developmental goals essential for survival, and participation in their particular and unique contexts and culture.  

However, one is going to look at breast feeding in China, which is somewhat like a puzzle, since mothers experience great amount of pressure to formula feed in hospitals, because there is far less support and understanding about breast feeding. There are numerous formula markets in China, and, when mothers go for prenatal checkups, they are given free samples, as well as, have the opportunity to observe the posters that are placed all over the walls of most hospitals. China is a model country for implementing World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children Fund's (UNICEF)  Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative, which stops the promotion of formula.

Once birth is given to a baby in China's hospital, the mother does not get the support for breast feeding. When it comes to colostrum ( the special breast milk produced the first 3-4 days), the hospitals are not aware of its importance, since they give babies formula and water instead, and ignore the colostrum. Colostrum helps to protect the baby's stomach against pathogens, colonizes the GI tract with friendly bacteria and enzymes, and has a laxative effect that assist in preventing jaundice, hence, the reason for being of paramount importance to babies. Also in China, breast milk is seen as food, not a drink, which made Chinese come to a conclusion that all babies, even just after birth, need water as a supplement.

Obviously, there is not any medically indicated reason to that, because giving water to new born babies worsen jaundice, makes the babies more susceptible to infection and allergies, causes imbalance to blood sugar, leads to reduce caloric intake, as well as, lowers milk supply. Having found out about the numerous benefits of breastfeeding for babies, one believes in being an advocate in promoting  breastfeeding, by imparting one's knowledge to mothers throughout the world, via blog, face book, email, pamphlets, and other necessary ways.

References

·         Berger, K.S.,(2009). The Developing  Person Through Childhood. New York. NY: Worth.

·         Carlson, N.R., Buskist, W., and Martin, G., N., (1997). Psychology: The Science of Behavior. Needham Heights, Massachusetts: Allyn and Bacon.

·         http://www.havingababyinchina.com/reference/br.

·         Puckett, M.B., and Black, J.K.,(2005). The Young Child: Development from Prebirth Through Age Eight. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.