It has been proven from a study carried out by journal pediatrics that, in the event mothers’ breastfeed their newborns in the first six months approximately, 900 lives and billions of dollars could be saved. Similarly, it was determined that many deaths can be prevented through breastfeeding.
The study evaluated 10 frequent illnesses that occur in children thereby determining their occurrence and expenses incurred in their treatment. It is noteworthy that babies are less likely to develop obesity and leukemia as the breast milk they consume affects the blood insulin level. Furthermore, antibodies are a constituent of breast milk thus it guards the children against infections.
According to Greenberg, the study seems not to have mentioned the fact that breast milk is cheap compared to infant formula. Additionally, these formulas do not contain the essential nutritional and psychological values attached to breast milk. It is evident that mothers should be encouraged to breast feed their newborns, and the best way to achieve this is to ban the promotion of infant formulas in hospitals (Greenberg, 2010).
The new government legislation that requires employers to provide nursing facilities for working mothers to breastfeed their children is a good start for this campaign. Similarly, hospitals will be evaluated on the basis of ensuring mothers breastfeed newborns before getting discharged from the facility.
Dr. Bartick Melissa affirms that the benefits of breast milk are not appreciated. In addition, she refers to breast feeding as a public health matter. It is evident that some mothers either fail to start or quit breastfeeding at an early stage. As a result, it is essential for mothers to prepare before commencing breastfeeding to avoid stress at work. It is a fact that mothers at pediatrics academy are not encouraged to breastfeed; as they are offered formulas instead.
Dr. Bartick insists that hospitals practices should change and in the process embrace the benefits of breast feeding. Furthermore, she affirms that mothers should not be blamed for such failures. It is noteworthy that Batrick’s study is priceless as not every woman can successfully breastfeed. On the other hand, this study depicts that mothers should be encouraged to breast feed their newborns (Greenberg, 2010).
References
Greenberg, Sally. (2010). Breastfeeding a public health issue. Savvy Consumer. Web.
United States Department of Transportation (DOT). (2010). Transportation is a public Health issue: DOT doing its part to keep kids moving. Fast lane. Web.