How breastfeeding boosts babies’ immune system and offers lifelong benefits
Nothing is more beneficial for a new mother and her baby than breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding is widely accepted as an effective strategy to promote positive health outcomes for mothers and their babies.
Research suggests that breastfeeding is critical in reducing the risk of disease for mothers and their infants, including respiratory illness, ear infections, allergies, and some cancers. A woman’s early experience with breastfeeding can affect whether and how long a new mother continues to breastfeed. If she gets adequate support, it can help reduce barriers to breastfeeding.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for approximately six months after birth. But the AAP suggests continued breastfeeding, with appropriate complementary foods introduced at about six months, or as long as mutually desired by mother and child for two years or beyond.
Coinciding with National Breastfeeding Awareness Month in August and Black Breastfeeding Week Aug. 25-31, the AAP has issued updated guidance and new recommendations, which says preliminary data reveal breast milk in a child’s second year of life is a significant source of macronutrients and immunologic factors.
Studies have also shown that breastfeeding longer than 12 months can reduce maternal type 2 diabetes, hypertension, breast cancer, and ovarian cancer rates, the AAP reports.
“Breastfeeding is the best way to feed a newborn and is a baby’s first vaccine,” said Trevae Cain, The Wellness Plan’s community outreach and enrollment specialist. “At the Wellness Plan, we encourage breastfeeding for all moms.”
This fall, The Wellness Plan will host lactation consulting sessions, where expecting mothers can register to learn breastfeeding techniques and the importance for both mother and child.
The sessions, to be announced, will include information and instruction on how to latch, improve milk supply, and hand massages to help express milk if she doesn’t have a pump.
Through the program, new and expecting mothers will also be able to register for the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). This national nutrition program provides education, counseling, nutritious food, and referrals.
Breastfeeding is a critical part of an infant’s life, but research shows fewer Black women choose the option.
Breastfeeding reduces the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, also known as crib death, and it’s essential for premature babies. The Black Mothers’ Breastfeeding Association in Detroit reports that mothers’ milk—rich in nutrients and antibiotics also enhances brain development and fights disease and infection. Mothers’ free milk also is more accessible than formula for a baby to digest.
“It’s a natural process,” Cain said. “It creates a bonding experience for the mom and the baby. It’s so important because it not only cuts cost but also unique to every mom and baby, giving the child more nutrients and supplementing whatever the baby is lacking.”
Dates for the breastfeeding instruction will be announced in early September. To register for WIC and Lactation Consulting or more information, contact Cain at 313-875-5380 or trevcain@wellplan.com.
To attend the Virtual Road Trip: Birth & Breastfeeding Conference, which runs from October 3-5, write conference@bmbfa.org or register at https://blackmothersbreastfeeding.org/conference/. The cost for early registration is $149 if paid by August 31.
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