Essay - Breastfeeding Introduction Child Malnutrition is One of the Most Widespread...

Breastfeeding

Introduction

Child malnutrition is one of the most widespread problems ***** world faces until now. It has been associated to high rates of morbidity and mortality among children in the develop*****g countries. Child ***** has been ***** with a number ***** factors that can be addressed by the society. Some of these are poverty ***** the family's socio-economic status, availability ***** food and poor diet, immunization, and breastfeeding practice (Brenna, McDonald, Shlomowitz, 2003). In fact, exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months could decrease mortality among children younger than 5 years old to 13% (UNICEF, 2007). South Asia ***** the *****est morbidity ***** mortality rates among ***** younger ***** 5 ***** old: 70 million children younger than 5 years ***** from ***** Asia, and are unlikely ***** achieve their full growth and development (South Asia Breastfeeding Partners Forum, 2007).

Breastmilk may potentially contribute to the infant's physical, cognitive, and emotional development. Breastfeeding protects the infant from contracting many common childhood diseases such as chronic diarrhea, pneumonia; developing autoimmune diseases, tooth decay, ***** ***** retardation (Bhandari, Bahl, Mazumdar, Martines, Black, and Bhan, *****; Brennan et al., 2003). It also facilitates ***** of the gastrointestinal tract while facilitating the absorption and digestion ***** fats, proteins, ***** carbohydrates found in foodstuffs (Gabbe, Nie*****l, and Simpson, 2007; Rakel ***** Bope, 2007). It also lowers the risk of cardiovascular diseases and obesity as these children become older. It strengthens maternal-***** bonding, an activity which is pr*****oundly import*****t to a child's emotional development. ***** is ***** economically beneficial because it is free. Breastmilk contains sufficient nutrients and provides immunologic comp*****nts such as antibodies that ***** passively transferred from the mo*****r. The mother also benefits from breastfeeding as it provides a natural contraceptive effect. ***** mother ***** ***** protected from rapid involution of the uterus, bre*****t and endometrial cancers, and diabetes (Gabbe et al., *****).

***** its well-founded benefits, breastfeeding rates remain low in *****l parts of ***** world. The introduction of breastmilk within 1 hour remains low among South *****n countries. In Afghanistan, breastfeeding is not introduced during the first ***** of feeding; in fact, Afghan babies are given breastmilk only as early as 4 months old (World Health Organization [WHO], 2001; South Asia Breastfeeding Partners Forum, 2007). It has been found that *****5% of *****s ***** infants breastfeed *****ir children during the first 6 months (UNICEF, 2007). There have also ***** incons*****tencies with regards to ***** right time supplementary solid foods should be introduced. In Bangladesh, it was found ***** the median duration of exclusive *****ing was 3.7 months with nearly 70% ***** the mo*****rs introducing milk supplements prior to ***** months. Most mothers ***** exclusively breastfeed their ***** for over 30 months (Ramachandran, 2004). In India, breastfeeding *****s were found ***** be almost similar to practices in ***** and West Bengal, except that the ***** duration of exclusive ***** was 5.3 months ***** lasted ***** the median duration of 25.4 months. Other studies have shown ***** breastfeeding rate decreased from 72% in the