Weekly Health Page Articles: Family BirthPlace

Nothing Beats Breast Milk for Newborn Health and Nutrition

When it comes to nutrition for newborns, research shows that nothing is better than breast milk. In fact, it also provides needed fatty acids for brain development and protects babies from illness.

"Breast milk offers excellent nutrition and provides protection against many diseases," says Devika R. Nagaraj, MD, pediatric hospitalist on staff at Saint Francis Medical Center. "Breast-fed infants have lower rates of respiratory and ear infections, diarrhea, eczema and allergies. The skin-to-skin contact of breast-feeding is also most reassuring to a newborn."

Breast-feeding also offers potential health advantages to mothers, such as lowering their risk of breast and ovarian cancer, helping them lose pregnancy weight, decreasing their risk of osteoporosis and providing some natural birth control protection under certain conditions.

From Weekly Health Page: May 7, 2006