Childhood is such a critical point in everyone’s lives. Some of our fondest memories as adults are formulated in our childhood. The earlier years we spend with our children are priceless. For that, we all hope that a child’s health, no matter who or where they are, is able to keep up with their unstoppable energy, sense of adventure, and fearlessness.
Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. Sometimes clumsiness gets in the way and bones are broken. Other times, children are born with or develop disorders that slow them down, such as asthma.
In fact, asthma is the most common chronic disorder experienced by children and adolescents. For example, in the United States, 55% of the pediatric population experiences an asthma attack and 50% of those children are under the age of five. Over the past few decades, the prevalence and severity of asthma has been increasing.
With this in mind, methods of natural prevention such as breastfeeding should be considered.
In order to demonstrate how breastfeeding can play a role in preventing the development of asthma, an understanding of what asthma is and what causes it is necessary. The cause of asthma is extremely variable and there are a number of factors that play a role in its development, including a genetic predisposition, the makeup of the individuals’ immune system, and allergic sensitization. Factors that can increase the risk of developing asthma include having a family history of asthma or atopy (the predisposition toward developing certain allergic hypersensitivity reactions), being male, having a low birth weight, preterm birth, young maternal age, maternal smoking, bottle feeding, and early weaning in infancy.
Asthma is a condition characterized by wheezing, difficulty breathing, cough, shortness of breath, and a feeling of discomfort in the chest. These symptoms are caused by an immune hypersensitivity response, often found in reaction to inhaled stimuli such as smoke or cold air, which then causes inflammation of the respiratory tract, leading to increased mucous production and swelling of the airway lining.
This shows us the importance of supporting the development of the immune system to prevent the development of asthma.
Research suggests that breastfeeding plays an important role in the prevention of asthma because of its ability to modulate the infants’ immune system. This is due to breast milks’ contents of a number of immunological molecules such as antibodies and anti-inflammatory substances. It’s been shown that breastfeeding can encourage development of the immune system, and prevent infection and inflammation.
Given that asthma is an inflammatory process resulting from an imbalanced immunological hypersensitivity response, the use of breast milk to prevent the development of asthma is highly recommended, especially in those with a family history of asthma and atopy. Results of research suggest that infants should be breastfed exclusively (without formula) for at least six months to be protective against the development of asthma.
So what’s the difference between breastfeeding and using formula?
Although there are formulas that have immune modulating contents, studies have compared breast milk to formula and have found that breast milk produces a significantly higher benefit. This may be due to a synergistic effect of the many immune components and nutrients in breast milk.
Aside from its role in the prevention of asthma, the importance of breastfeeding spans over many other aspects. It has a role in both the infants’ and mother’s health, and also has a fiscal and environmental impact.
Dramatic health benefits have been proven to pass from mother to child through breast milk, as infants receive an optimal mix of nutrients and immune molecules to meet their individuals’ needs. The risk of developing of a number of disorders such as colic, childhood diabetes, constipation, gastrointestinal infections, ear infections, pneumonia, allergies, eczema, childhood obesity, and allergies is also greatly reduced.
Mothers also benefit from breastfeeding. It reduces the risk of developing breast cancer, maternal diabetes, stress, anxiety, and aids mothers in returning to pre-pregnancy weight. The relationship between the mother and infant that is formed throughout the process of breastfeeding is also important.
With the profound impact that breastfeeding has on health, it is no surprise that it’s been found that the number of office visits from babies that have been breastfed is significantly lower than those that have not been breastfed. Breastfeeding can therefore considerably relieve the burden placed on our tax dollars.
Also, did you know that formula costs about $2500.00 a year?!
Breastfeeding also benefits the environment. It reduces the need to make plastic bottles required for formula feeding, therefore decreasing the production of bisphenol A (a component of plastics that is known to be an endocrine disruptor. It mimics the body’s own hormones and leads to negative health effects). It also reduces the number of dairy herds needed to make milk used in formula. This is important because the livestock sector occupies a quarter of emerged land, contributing to a fifth of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, uses eight percent of water resources, and threatens a wide range of endangered species.
In short: Breast is best!
If breastfeeding is at all daunting to you, there is a lot of information and support available through your local community and health care providers, such as Naturopathic Doctors, and community groups like La Leche League
Dr. Cristina
Dr. Cristina
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