Benefits of breastfeeding for mothers and children

Abstract

Breastfeeding is the ideal way of feeding the child in its first years of life. This recommendation is based on the high impact benefits that it has on a child's health and well-being as well as its short and long-term effects. Some of the benefits demonstrated in children are a positive effect on neurodevelopment, intellect, behavior, and symptoms of prevalent diseases and conditions, protection against infection, especially gastrointestinal and respiratory infections, protective effect and tolerance modulator in allergy, especially asthma, eczema, and food allergy, promotion of intestinal and oral cavity development and metabolic protection with epigenetic effect. These protective effects can be magnified in premature infants. The protective effect on infant mortality is important, especially in preterm infants. Likewise, beneficial effects have been shown in the nursing mother, in whom a protective effect against metabolic pathologies, obesity, gynecological disorders, and female cancer, especially breast, ovarian and endometrial cancer, has been demonstrated; in the same way, it plays a key role in the psychological support of the puerperal woman, especially in depression and anxiety, and favors the attachment between mother and child. Finally, breastfeeding has proven to be a cost-effective health practice.