Studies on Breast Milk

A recent investigation has demonstrated that the anti-infective factors continue to be present in significant amounts in mother’s milk even at the end of the first year of the lactation. These qualities of breast milk are of major significance for the infant’s defense against infection, particularly in the Third World countries where risk of infection is very high. Decline in breast-feeding in Singapore during 1951-1960 led to a loss of 1.8 million US dollars. On the world scale it has been estimated that marked decline in breast-feeding could lead to literally billions of dollars going down the drain. Even if you do not care what happens to the rest of the world or the statistics, just wait. Does it cost anything to feed the baby on your own breasts? Imagine if you have to go in for all those bottles, teats and milk powders. Breast-feeding contributes a great lot to establish sound and healthy mother - child interactions. The breast-fed infant has the close, warm contact of the mother’s body that has been compared to the “warm encompassing amniotic fluid (the water in which the baby floats while in the womb) which he just left”. Nursing the baby would decidedly give you much satisfaction and a sense of fulfillment. The baby too gets reciprocal contentment and pleasure.