Impact of breastfeeding on maternal and child health
Breastfeeding is not just a way to feed a baby, it is a natural process that carries health and psychological benefits for both mother, child and family. Breast milk plays a vital role in promoting the health of the child and strengthening his immunity, as well as in supporting the health of the mother after childbirth.
The effect of breastfeeding on uterine contractions:
When a mother breastfeeds, the hormone oxytocin (the hormone responsible for positive feelings in the body) is secreted from the pituitary gland. This hormone stimulates uterine contractions, which are known as "postpartum contractions". These contractions help in:
- Cleaning the uterus from placental remains.
- Reducing postpartum bleeding, which is important for reducing maternal deaths.
- Returning the uterine to its normal size faster.
Burning fat accumulated due to pregnancy
Breastfeeding requires a lot of energy, which helps the mother burn the fat accumulated during pregnancy. The breastfeeding mother consumes about 500-700 additional calories per day from these fats in order to produce milk, which helps in losing weight naturally and healthily.
Method of contraception
Breastfeeding helps prevent pregnancy by stimulating the secretion of the hormone prolactin, which prevents ovulation. To ensure the effectiveness of this method, breastfeeding must be complete or almost complete and the infant must be less than 6 months old, with no menstrual cycle.
Prevention of diseases
Breastfeeding reduces the risk of children developing diseases such as diarrhea and pneumonia, which are major causes of child mortality. It also reduces the likelihood of middle ear infections and respiratory and digestive diseases.
Promoting and supporting breastfeeding
It is essential to provide support and education to mothers about the benefits of breastfeeding. Emotional and social support from the husband, grandmother, doctor and nurse reinforces the mother's decision to start and continue breastfeeding. Providing knowledge and support can help mothers overcome challenges and achieve a successful and positive breastfeeding experience.
The impact of emotional support and its role in the success and continuity of breastfeeding
Breastfeeding is a natural process that has many health benefits for both mother and child. However, mothers may face challenges and difficulties that may prevent them from starting or continuing breastfeeding.
The importance of support during pregnancy and after childbirth
Women can get support during pregnancy and after childbirth in various ways, including providing knowledge and education, reassurance, and encouragement, in addition to giving them the opportunity to express their concerns and ask their questions. This type of support can help mothers continue breastfeeding as long as they wish. In the event of early cessation of breastfeeding, mothers may face health problems as well as feelings of disappointment and sadness for a long time.
What is the relationship between encouraging the mother and facing the challenges of breastfeeding?
Encouraging the mother can help her face the challenges and fears associated with breastfeeding, so it is necessary to reassure the mother, answer her questions, help her deal with common barriers to breastfeeding and remind her that these challenges do not mean that she is a bad mother and that she has the right to ask for help and support.
The role of the grandmother in supporting breastfeeding
Grandmothers have a significant positive impact on healthy breastfeeding practices. Grandmothers encourage and prefer breastfeeding, which increases the likelihood of the mother’s decision to breastfeed by 12%. In contrast, the grandmothers’ lack of encouragement to breastfeed affects the mother’s decision to start breastfeeding by 70%. Therefore, including grandmothers in the process of encouraging the mother to breastfeed will be effective.
The role of the husband and companion during birth
The presence of a companion during birth with the mother increases the rate of exclusive breastfeeding in the first 6 months, three times that of women who give birth without a companion. The emotional and social support provided by the companion can contribute to the mother’s feeling of comfort and alertness, which enhances her ability to breastfeed effectively.
The role of breastfeeding in strengthening the infant's immune system
- Breastfeeding plays a vital role in strengthening the baby's immune system during the first months of life. Breast milk contains a unique combination of nutrients and many antibodies that help protect the infant from infection and disease. Colostrum, the first milk, is a rich and highly concentrated source of antibodies, which protect the mucous membranes in the respiratory and digestive systems from bacteria and viruses.
- Breastfeeding babies are less likely to develop common illnesses (such as middle ear infections, respiratory infections, and diarrhea). In addition, research shows that breastfed babies have a more developed immune system and a better response to diseases, reducing the need for antibiotics and other medical treatments. The benefits of breastfeeding continue long after weaning, as breastfed babies face lower rates of allergies, asthma, diabetes, and obesity later in life.
- Therefore, breastfeeding is the best choice for feeding the infant and supporting his immune system effectively and sustainably. In addition to the health benefits, breastfeeding enhances the emotional bond between mother and child, which contributes to the child’s psychological and social development. Investing in breastfeeding not only benefits the child’s health, but also has economic and social benefits for society by reducing health care costs and improving quality of life.
How breastfeeding contributes to enhancing your child's mental health:
Breastfeeding is not just a means of feeding the infant, but it is the cornerstone for building the mother-child relationship and is the first step in the child's emotional, psychological and mental development. Breastfeeding plays an important role in improving children's mental health through:
1.Emotional bonding and Safety:
One of the most important psychological benefits of breastfeeding is strengthening the emotional bond between mother and child. During this intimate period, the child feels safe and protected, which helps develop confidence and psychological comfort in the early stages of life.
2.Mental development:
Breast milk contains nutrients and hormones that contribute to the healthy mental development of the child. This leads to enhanced cognitive and mental development in the first years of life.
3.Emotional and behavioral regulation:
Breastfeeding helps develop emotional regulation skills in children. This means that they will be able to better deal with a variety of emotions and emotional situations in the future. This may help reduce negative behaviors later.
In general, breastfed babies often have stronger critical thinking skills, better memory, the ability to speak at an earlier age, and better motor skills. These physical and mental benefits lead to positive outcomes for the child's mental health in the early and later stages of development.
Breastfeeding and postpartum depression:
Can breastfeeding reduce the risk of infection?
Postpartum depression:
Postpartum depression is a common complication that some mothers may face after giving birth. It begins during the first weeks or months after giving birth, and several complex factors overlap leading to it, as there is no single direct cause. These factors include hormonal changes, a medical history of depression, genetics, sleep deprivation and extreme fatigue. It is important to differentiate between this depression and the temporary postpartum depression that most mothers go through after giving birth.
The difference between Baby Blues and Postpartum Depression:
Although both conditions may appear immediately after giving birth, they differ in the severity of the symptoms and the duration of their duration.
Baby Blues: It is a transient and common condition characterized by mood swings, crying and anxiety due to hormonal changes in a woman's body after giving birth, and does not last more than two weeks.
Postpartum depression: It is more severe and its symptoms last for longer periods and include more severe symptoms (such as: chronic insomnia, feelings of guilt, extreme fatigue, loss of energy, inability to make decisions, recurring thoughts of death and suicide, and difficulty attaching to the child).
Both conditions, "baby blues and postpartum depression", are treatable and highly treatable.
Likelihood of occurrence:
A study conducted in 2022 found that the percentage of Saudi women suffering from postpartum depression is 32.8%.
Breastfeeding is an important factor in preventing postpartum depression:
Several studies have found that mothers who do not breastfeed are more likely to suffer from depressive symptoms. Breastfeeding is one of the factors that protects the mother from developing postpartum depression.
How does breastfeeding protect you from the risk of postpartum depression?
- Stimulating the secretion of oxytocin: The process of breastfeeding stimulates the secretion of oxytocin, which is known as the "happiness hormone" because it improves the psychological state by reducing levels of stress and depression in the blood. It also plays an important role in the mother's attachment to her child and strengthening the relationship between them.
- Reducing cortisol levels: Breastfeeding reduces the level of the hormone cortisol, which is responsible for responding to psychological stress. High levels of cortisol are a factor in postpartum depression.
- Improving sleep quality: Breastfeeding helps improve the quality and organization of sleep, and sleep is an important factor in mood disorders.
- Enhancing confidence and self-efficacy: Studies have found that the mother's confidence and belief in her ability to breastfeed play a role in preventing postpartum depression, and it also predicts the mother's desire to breastfeed.
- Positivity of experience: It is important that the breastfeeding experience is positive and facilitated through education and support for the mother, as previous negative experiences may be associated with postpartum depression.
- Therefore, breastfeeding is one of the effective ways to prevent postpartum depression, and mothers deserve the support and counseling necessary to ensure a positive experience for them and their babies.
What is the effect of breastfeeding on your child's weight?
Breastfeeding is one of the most important health practices that have positive effects on the growth and development of children, as studies have indicated that breastfeeding has a protective role against childhood obesity, so the results will be compared between children who were breastfed and children who were not as follows:
1.Body mass index:
- Children who were breastfed had a lower BMI at the age of 2-5 years.
- Children who were not breastfed had a higher BMI at the age of 2-5 years.
2.Breastfeeding without using formula:
- Children who were breastfed for at least 4 months had a lower BMI at the age of 2-5 years.
- Children who were not breastfed for at least 4 months had a higher BMI at the age of 2-5 years.
Based on these results, breastfeeding plays an important role in maintaining a healthy BMI in children in early childhood. Breastfeeding for at least 4 months also has a positive effect on this index. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to encourage mothers to breastfeed for its many health benefits.
How does breastfeeding protect against otitis media in infants?
What is otitis media?
Otitis media is most often caused by a bacterial or viral infection that affects the middle ear, leading to fluid accumulation behind the eardrum. This disease is one of the most common diseases among children, as they are more susceptible to it than adults.
Why are children more susceptible to otitis media?
- 1Because children's immune deficiency makes them vulnerable and less able to fight infection
- The shortness of the Eustachian tube (a thin tube that extends from the middle ear to the back of the nose) in children makes it difficult to drain fluids from the ear.
What are the symptoms of otitis media?
- Ear pain, especially when lying down.
- Difficulty sleeping.
- Crying more than usual and pulling the ear.
- Not responding to sounds.
- High temperature (38℃) or higher.
- Ear discharge.
- Loss of appetite
How to prevent otitis media?
- When a cold occurs, it is preferable to treat the child and not neglect their treatment so that it does not develop into otitis media.
- It is important to follow up on the child's health continuously, especially if he is exposed to recurrent middle ear infections.
- Make sure that the child has received routine vaccinations.
- Do not expose the child to cigarette smoke, hookah, etc. (passive smoking).
- Keep the child away from infected people.
- Always make sure to raise the head of the infant or child slightly during breastfeeding.
- Breastfeeding for at least 6 months strengthens immunity and makes the child less susceptible to ear infections.
How does breastfeeding help reduce the risk of otitis media?
Breastfeeding reduces the risk of otitis media in children. Children who drink formula milk are more susceptible to middle ear infections than children who receive breastfeeding. The reason behind this is not clear, but it is likely related to the presence of antibodies in breast milk that strengthen the child's immunity or that the process of feeding from milk bottles leads to the transfer of pressure to the middle ear, which contributes to the occurrence of otitis media.