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  3. Reasons for Breastfeeding

Clinical Resource: Reasons for Breastfeeding

Description

On the surface, the choice between formula and breastfeeding may seem like a coin toss, but one of these options provides a multitude of benefits for both the mom and the baby that can’t be overstated.

The fact of the matter is, the benefits of breastfeeding go way beyond providing your little one with nutrition.  Dr. Misty Virmani explains the benefits for both mother and baby.

Video Player

UAMS Breastfeeding Series — Reasons for Breastfeeding

Transcript

The reasons I encourage you to breastfeed is because it’s beneficial to both your health and to your baby’s health. It also creates a bond that you’re not going to be able to recreate in really any other way.

But specifically speaking to your baby’s health, it helps decrease the risk that your child might die in the first year of life, up to 20% decreased risk of death, even in developed countries like the United States. That’s partly because it reduces the risk of sudden infant death. It reduces the risk of things like leukemia and lymphoma. Those are diseases that we can’t change the risk factors for in any other way. But breastfeeding actually can decrease the risk of your child getting leukemia by about 15% and lymphoma up to almost 20%.

It’s part of the immune mediation, so that means it modifies how the immune system functions.

So when you’re exposed to formula, the bovine proteins and the lack of other antigen exposure through formula modifies how the immune system works and creates more of an inflammatory or pro-inflammatory environment in the gut and then later in the immune system and in how the body functions overall.

When you’re exposed to breast milk, you don’t have bovine protein exposure. You have an anti-inflammatory environment that helps protect the gut from some of these early antigenic exposures, develops a helpful, not a harmful response to some of these antigens and helps develop the immune system. And if you think about what the primary source of immune stimulation in an infant or even in us is, it’s through the gut. A lot of your lymphatic tissue is all in the gut. So your largest kind of — simply speaking — immune organ is your intestines, and that’s where your breast milk exposure occurs.

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Related Resources

  • The Realities of Breastfeeding (Video)

    Like many things in life, breastfeeding is rarely perfect from the start. Dr. Virmani discusses some of the realities of breastfeeding for beginners.

  • Breastfeeding Issues Physicians Might See in Their Practice (Video)

    Dr. Misti Virmani breaks down some common issues general practitioners may see in moms who are breastfeeding.

  • Breastfeeding Benefits for Mom (Video)

    Breastfeeding does wonders for your baby's body. Aside from the obvious benefits, there are some lesser-known benefits for breastfeeding mothers.

  • Breastfeeding and Mastitis (Video)

    A common issue that mothers in the beginning stages of breastfeeding deal with is mastitis, a condition where the milk ducts become blocked and may be infected.

  • Breastfeeding Law and Policy (Video)

    The U.S. Department of Labor and the State of Arkansas have laws protecting breastfeeding and nursing mothers. Dr. Misty Virmani explains.

  • Breastfeeding — Moms Going Back to Work (Video)

    Many mothers give up on breastfeeding once they go back to work after maternity leave because of the challenges they face in the workplace.

  • The Importance of Breastfeeding (Video)

    There are many, many benefits of breastfeeding that apply to both mother and baby. Learn more about breastfeeding by talking to your provider.

Related Conditions

  • Leukemia
  • Lymphoma
  • Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

Related Providers

Misty L. Virmani, M.D.

Misty L. Virmani, M.D. Neonatologist

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Women's Center

Women’s Center

6119 Midtown Ave.
Little Rock, AR 72205

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501-526-1050
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