Keywords
Dear Editor,
Breast Feeding is an important health-promoting behavior, conferring numerous health benefits for both mothers and infants (1). Mother’s milk is the most appropriate food for infants. There is no other food to replace it (2). Breast Feeding is the normal way of supplying necessary nutrients of young infants for their health growth and development (3). According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), breast milk is the baby’s ‘first immunization’ that helps to protect against causes of diarrhea, ear and chest infections, and other health problems (4). Today, many international and national organizations strongly advocate Breast Feeding (5).
Parallely Breast Feeding advantages on infant’s health contributions to economy, entire family and especially to mother are very important. Breast Feeding is natural sedative for mother and baby. Breast Feeding provides time saving to family. Health expense of family reduces due to less baby illness and sickness who fed with breast milk. Family can get easier with their baby.
Breast Feeding is probably the most overlooked means of contributing to the health of our planet. Perhaps the least known of all the advantages of Breast Feeding are the ecological benefits. Breast milk is a natural and renewable resource which is often overlooked. Breast Feeding is unique - it causes no pollution and is the best example of how humanity can sustain itself through provision of the first and most exact food for human life (6-8).
Artificial baby milks and processed baby foods are non-renewable products that can cause ecological damage in all stages of their production, distribution and usage. Baby feeding with bottle mean more forest loss, soil erosion, air pollution (including dioxin and other toxins), climate change and waste of resources. Breast Feeding reduces waste. There is no need bottles, boxes, packs of them and labels for Breast Feeding. Most of the bottles on the markets made from plastic. Plastic is an important environmental pollutant. Because of breast-feeding mothers don’t menstruate for a while, their needs for pads, tampons, analgesic and related waste with these materials is reduced. Breast milk is better digested (6, 8).
As a result of this breastfed babies produce less amount of stool thus their diapers are less changed. Breast Feeding reduces carbon emissions because breast milk is produced naturally and do not require factory such as mother's milk formulas. Many countries bring goods such as baby foods and bottles from the other side of the world. This means that the large expenditure of fuel and contributes to air pollution everywhere. Breast milk does not have to be shipped around the world, every mother has a ready supply wherever she goes and due to the breast milk is the right temperature for baby does not need to warm up. Preparation of foods other than breast milk produces more waste (6-9).
Beside the health advantages for mothers and their children, there are also environmental benefits of Breast Feeding. Mothers can contribute to the protection of our planet by Breast Feeding their babies. Breast Feeding is the best option for baby, mother, family, society, economy and environment.
Acknowledgements
References
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1.
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Çınar N.D, Sözeri C.U, Altınkaynak S. Başarılı nesiller için anne sütü. Sağlıcakla Aylık Sağlık Dergisi. 2009;12:20-21.
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2012. Breast Feeding. Available from: http://www.who.int/topics/BreastFeeding/en.
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Facts for life. New York: UNİCEF; 2002.
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Dennis CL. The breastfeeding self-efficacy scale: psychometric assessment of the short form. J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs. 2003;32(6):734-44. [PubMed ID: 14649593].
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Karunamoorthi K. Vector Control: A Cornerstone in the Malaria Elimination Campaign. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2011;17(11):1608-1616. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-0691.2011.03664.x.
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Karunamoorthi K, Mohammed M, Wassie F. Knowledge and practices of farmers with reference to pesticide management: implications on human health. Arch Environ Occup Health. 2012;67(2):109-16. [PubMed ID: 22524652]. https://doi.org/10.1080/19338244.2011.598891.
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Rippeyounga PLF, Noonanb MC. Is Breastfeeding Truly Cost Free? Income Consequences of Breastfeeding for Women. American Sociological Review. 2012;77(2):244-267.
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Wolf JB. Is breast really best? Risk and total motherhood in the National Breastfeeding Awareness Campaign. J Health Polit Policy Law. 2007;32(4):595-636. [PubMed ID: 17639013]. https://doi.org/10.1215/03616878-2007-018.