The Benefits of Breastmilk
What are the benefits of breastfeeding your baby?
After a baby is born, the mother produces a special type of milk called colostrum. Colostrum contains extra antibodies, immune cells, and other important substances that the mother passes on to the child. That immediately protects the infant against illnesses involving the digestive tract.
But the benefits extend beyond those first few days. Breastmilk helps prevent a variety of diseases and conditions, such as:
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Bacterial blood infection
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Diarrhea
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Respiratory infections
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Urinary tract infections
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Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
It also decreases the future risk of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, lymphoma, leukemia, and childhood obesity. That isn’t the complete list, but you get the picture.
About the Author
Dr. Sanaz Majd is a board-certified Family Medicine physician who graduated from Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia. Her special interests are women’s health and patient education.
