Kenneth Epps
PSY203-41-Lake City
BREASTFEEDING VS. BOTTLE-FEEDING: THE PROS & CONS
There are many advantages and disadvantages when it comes to the feeding of an infant. The decision to breast or bottle feed is usually left up to the parents, mainly the mother. The pros of breastfeeding is very abundant, as in the many ways it is good for the newborn. One of the advantages of being breast-fed is that babies have a greater chance of not being admitted to a hospital for intestinal infections, and are less likely to suffer from ear and respiratory infections, diabetes and allergies. Another advantage is that breast milk contains an active infection fighting agent in the white blood cells, that gives babies an increased protection against infections in the first months. A mother's milk will initially contain colostrum, which gives a baby the perfect amount of protein, minerals and antibodies until their immune system is built up. Breast milk can also be digested more easier than that of bottle formula, making it the perfect food for a baby’s immature digestive system and this is also why breastfed babies have been found to have less constipation and diarrhea than bottle fed babies. The main advantage of being breast-fed is that it can help prevent one of the leading cause of deaths in infants, which is SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). A mother who breast feeds also can reap the benefits from it just as well as their baby, as it helps them lose the weight gained during pregnancy, releases chemicals into the mother's body that encouragse the uterus to contract and return to its original position sooner than in non-breastfeeding mothers, and helps reduce risk of pre-menopausal breast cancer and osteoporosis.
The disadvantages of breast feeding is very low compared to the many advantages of breastfeeding. Breastfeeding can get really challenging at times, especially in the beginning when the new mom is inexperienced. Some of the problems that...