Breastmilk - nature's vaccine

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

have any of you heard of a book with this title?

I would love to read it!

Thanks!

Ingrid

[Guest guest]

awesome article! thanks for sharing :-)

Tania

Breastmilk - nature's vaccine

>

> Just look at the source of this article. It should be printed in more bf

> journals.

> Ingrid

>

>

> Nature's Vaccine

> " If a new vaccine became available that could prevent one

> million or more child deaths per year that was moreover cheap, safe and

> administered orally, it would become an immediate health

> imperative.... " -The Lancet Add to the above protection from middle ear

> infections, diarrhea, upper respiratory infections, allergies, asthma,

> juvenile-onset diabetes, meningitis and certain childhood cancers. Also an

> increase in your child's IQ by 8-9 points and no smelly bowel movements.

> You'd be standing in line to give all this to your child, no doubt. The

> good news is you don't have to stand in any lines for this. The vaccine is

> none other than nature's own: breastmilk. One teaspoon of breastmilk has

> 3,000,000 germ-killing cells to protect a baby from all that he gets

> exposed to on a day-to-day basis. No matter the baby's age, those

> antibodies are always there. It's no wonder the American Academy of

> Pediatrics came out in such overwhelming support of breastfeeding in

> their policy statement that infants should receive breastmilk for a

> minimum of one year and beyond that if it's working for the family. Some

> people may balk at that one year figure. It's important to acknowledge

> that our culture is not so breastfeeding-friendly. We seem to suffer a bit

> of amnesia, however, forgetting that not too long ago our grandmothers and

> great-grandmothers nursed our parents and grandparents beyond a year and

> they didn't know anything about AAP recommendations. Why we feel the need

> to wean our babies quickly from the breast or not nurse them at all is a

> complex issue. One explanation is that our society very much values

> independence and we don't want our children to be too clingy. Why we feel

> the need to teach them all this independence before they can even walk or

> talk, though, is beyond comprehension. We have eighteen years or so to

> help them become self sufficient. Perhaps we could cut them some slack for

> that first year or two. Another factor is

> also cultural and it's the No. 1 reason moms might not even consider

> breastfeeding: Breasts are fine on a billboard or in a magazine selling

> beer or cars, they're great to show off in a slinky swimsuit or dress, but

> to feed a baby? Again, amnesia. Feeding babies is the breasts' purpose.

> Instead of embarrassing a mom who is breastfeeding her baby by giving her

> a disapproving look, why not give her a smile? After all, a breastfeeding

> mother is doing important work that benefits her whole community. If all

> US newborns were breastfed for just twelve weeks, our nation would save

> $2.4 billion per year. Those are your tax dollars. Two requests we might

> make of expectant parents would be to love their baby enough to put his

> needs above their own during pregnancy and the early years, and to get

> informed about breastfeeding during their pregnancy. It is a shame to see

> a mom choose to formula feed only because no one told her about

> breastfeeding. Whether a mom decides to breastfeed

> for six weeks, six months or past a year, she'll be giving her baby

> something priceless no one else can give him: nature's vaccine. No waiting

> in line, either. -Kendall

>

> Reprinted from Midwifery Today E-News (Vol 1 Issue 39, Sep 24, 1999)

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