BREASTFEEDING: BABY'S FIRST VACCINE

Wednesday, 04 de December de 2019 - 16:56

Inexpensive, practical and convenient, breastfeeding has numerous benefits for the baby's and the mother's health. For this reason, it is the food for the first months of life recommended by the WHO .

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"Breast milk is a baby's first vaccine, the first and best protection the baby can have against disease and other health problems," says UNICEF Portugal.

Besides being a natural food, nutritionally complete and of great biological complexity, breast milk has a better digestibility and bioavailability of nutrients such as calcium and phosphorus. It promotes better cognitive development, lower incidence and/or severity of gastrointestinal, respiratory and urinary tract infections, provides protection from some allergies and a better response to vaccination.

For the mother there are also advantages: rapid postpartum recovery, faster uterine involution, reduced risk of bleeding, slows the onset of menstruation after delivery and contributes to a lower incidence of some pathologies in the future, such as breast cancer, ovarian cancer, osteoporosis, Type 2 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.

Also noteworthy is the emotional link between mother and child, which is established during breastfeeding and contributes to a lower incidence of postpartum depression, increasing the mother's well-being and confidence.