Running head: BREAST IS BEST 1

Breast is Best

Amber Flannery

Michigan Center High School

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Breastfeeding has been a topic of discussion for many years. Breastfeeding consists of

feeding a baby through the mother’s breast. Many people believe that breastfeeding is not

necessary because the ingredients in formula have almost as much nutrition as those in breast

milk. They also believe that breastfeeding can cause an overwhelming bond between the mother

and child. On the other hand, others believe that breastfeeding should be the only option to feed a

child because there are significant nutrients found in breast milk that are not found in formula.

These nutrients play an important role in the development of the child. Breastfeeding is the best

way to provide nutrition for children because it helps improve the overall health of both the

mother and the child.

When a mother breastfeeds her child, her risk of developing breast cancer is reduced.

Many studies have come to the conclusion that mothers who breastfeed their children for the first

two years of their lives are less likely to develop breast cancer than those who don’t. The

hormones in the body have a huge impact on the progression of breast cancer. Megan Oley

(2014), a member of the Portage County Breastfeeding Coalition, states that

Pregnancy and breast-feeding will reduce the number of menstrual cycles that occur in a

lifetime and, in turn, reduce the level of estrogen in your body. Most studies have shown

that estrogen can fuel up to 80 percent of all breast cancers. (pg. 1)

All women should breastfeed without question because it will improve their health.

Breastfeeding is not harmful to either the mother or baby, so it’s better to be safe rather than

sorry when dealing with something as deadly as cancer.

Breastfeeding can reduce the chance of obtaining heart disease for both the mother and
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the baby. The nutrients inside breast milk are heart-healthy and will help boost the health of the

baby. It has been proven that these nutrients are not found in formula. An article titled

Breastfeeding Promotes Heart Health for Mothers and Children concludes that

...formula-fed infants tend to have higher cholesterol overall and less of the “good”

cholesterol, HDL, than those who are breastfed. Additionally, children and adolescents

who are breastfed exclusively in infancy tend to have less low-grade inflammation,

suggesting that early feeding can impact heart health and disease risk factors later in life.

(Breastfeeding promotes, 2012, pg. 1)

Breast milk plays a huge factor in the overall well-being of a child. There is a huge difference in

the health of a child that is breastfed and the health of a child that is formula fed. This differences

lies in the nutrients that these children receive. The good nutrients are only found in breastmilk,

while alternative ingredients that aren’t nearly as nourishing for children are found in formula.

On the other hand, mothers can also be affected by breastfeeding their children. Mothers who

choose to breastfeed are less likely to develop heart disease because of the effects breastfeeding

has on the mother’s body. Dr. Alison Stuebe (2009) claims that “Epidemiologic data suggest that

women who do not breastfeed face higher risk of breast and ovarian cancer, obesity, type 2

diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease” (pg. 1). Heart disease is a very

serious condition that can lead to death. Breastfeeding children is the best solution to avoid the

life-long problem of heart disease.

Breastfeeding can lower the mother’s risk of diabetes. Diabetes is a very common disease

that can be avoided with certain precautions. Breastfeeding is related to this because the mother

can lose weight while breastfeeding which will decrease her risk of obtaining diabetes. Thomas

Hale (2012), a Professor of Pediatrics at Texas Tech University School of Medicine states
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One study suggests that breastfeeding imposes an increased metabolic burden on

mothers, that included an increased energy requirement of approximately 480 kcal/d.

This metabolic burden may be responsible for reduced blood glucose levels and thus a

decreased risk of type 2 diabetes. (pg. 1)

Every woman has the chance to decrease her risk of getting diabetes simply by breastfeeding her

child. This is a simple solution to a problem that can cause life-long health issues for years to

come. All women should take advantage of what they were born to do because in the long run

they are benefiting both the child and themselves.

Breast milk contains the perfect amount of nutrients that are required for healthy growth

of the baby. In order to be considered healthy, a child must obtain key nutrients during the early

stages of life. The alternative option for breastfeeding is using cow’s milk. However, it’s been

proven that cow’s milk doesn’t have all the nutrients that are required for healthy development of

the baby. An article titled Breastfeeding states that

Breast milk contains omega-3 fatty acids essential for the growth and development of the

brain and nerve tissue...Taurine, an amino acid that is important in the development of

brain tissue, is found in breast milk but not in cow’s milk...Breast milk contains lactose, a

milk sugar that provides energy. Breast milk contains 20-30% more lactose than cow's

milk…. (Byrnes, 2011, pg. 1)

The ingredients inside breast milk are vital for healthy development of the baby. The nutrients

that a child gets at a young age also make a huge difference in how a child physically develops.

Breastfeeding has been proven to increase the intelligence of a child. A child who was

breastfed as a baby is more likely to achieve high grades in school. This is due to the excessive

amount of healthy nutrients that they received from the breast milk, which in return helps
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improve brain development. An article titled How Breastfeeding Benefits you and your baby

states that

In a study of more than 17,000 infants followed from birth to 6 1/2 years, researchers

concluded from IQ scores and other intelligence tests that prolonged and exclusive

breastfeeding significantly improves cognitive development. Another study of almost

4,000 children showed that babies who were breastfed had significantly higher scores on

a vocabulary test at 5 years of age than children who were not breastfed. And the scores

were higher the longer they had been nursed. (How breastfeeding benefits, n.d., pg. 1)

Babies that are breastfed are more likely to be successful later in life because of how developed

their brain is. They are also more likely to achieve higher standardized test scores during high

school.

Breastfeeding doesn’t subject infants to the unhealthy amounts of arsenic contained in

formula. Arsenic exposure can cause serious health damage to all systems of the body if not dealt

with immediately. Respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurological effects have all been reported.

Arsenic exposure is more harmful to infants because their immune system is not fully developed

so they are unable to fight off the harmful chemicals. It has been said that baby formula may

contain traces of arsenic in it which can cause serious damage to an infant. Andrew Seaman

(2015), a reporter for the New York Reuters, concludes that “The powder and water used to

make the baby formula may be sources of arsenic, which occurs naturally in the environment and

in large doses is linked to serious health problems...” (pg. 1). Breastfeeding a child can help them

avoid the harmful effects of arsenic exposure. In return, they will become stronger and will be

less likely to have health issues. A recent study showed that,

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Infants who are breastfed have lower arsenic levels than those who are fed formula... The

study, published online in the U.S. journal Environmental Health Perspectives, measured

arsenic in home tap water, urine from 72 six-week-old infants and breast milk from nine

women in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. Urinary arsenic concentrations were

generally low but 7.5 times higher for infants fed exclusively with formula than infants

fed exclusively with breast milk, it found. (Breastfeeding may reduce, 2015, pg. 1)

A child’s immune system is already fragile as it is. Feeding a child formula will only cause

problems with the child’s health.

Breastfeeding is the best choice for mothers to provide their babies with nutrition due to

the many benefits that can be received from it. Breastfeeding helps mothers avoid obtaining

cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. Similarly, the child itself can benefit from breastfeeding by

avoiding arsenic exposure and having their risk of heart disease reduced. Another benefit for the

child is the increase of intelligence. It has been proven that a child who is breastfed is more

likely to be successful later in life than a child who is not breastfed. Along with that, a child who

is breastfed is more likely to be better developed than one who isn’t. All mothers should

breastfeed their children because it will benefit their lives and the child’s life from day one.
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References

Breastfeeding may reduce arsenic exposure in infants: study. (2015, February 23). Retrieved

March 19, 2015, from http://elibrary.bigchalk.com/elibweb/elib/do/document?set=search

&searchType=natural&dictionaryClick=&secondaryNav=&groupid=1&requestid=lib_sta

ndard&resultid=1&edition=&ts=9CB028633E2347B030CDA7489A12A50B_14267678

64347&start=1&publicationId=&urn=urn%3Abigchalk%3AUS%3BBCLib%3Bdocumen

t%3B232763133

Xinhuanet.com is a famous news website run by Xinhua News Agency, the state news
agency of China. Collecting news resources from over 150 branches all over the world,
Xinhuanet.com releases news around the clock in eight languages, namely, Chinese (GB,
Big5), English, French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, Japanese and Portuguese.
Xinhuanet.com shows its strength as a leading news website in several aspects, such as
making exclusive reports on hot topics, tracking sudden incidents, making influential in-
depth analyses and comments, etc. It is the confluence of online news and information
whose timely, authoritative and accurate reports draw the attention of Internet users
around the world.

Breastfeeding promotes heart health for mothers and children. (2012, February 1). Retrieved

March 15, 2015, from http://uslca.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/uslca-press-Febr-20

12.pdf

The United States Lactation Consultant Association (USLCA) is the professional

association for International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) and other
healthcare professionals who care for breastfeeding families. Their mission is to advance
the IBCLC within the United States through leadership, advocacy, professional
development and research. USLCA is organized and is operated exclusively for the
educational, charitable, and scientific purposes as contemplated by the United States
Internal Revenue Code.
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Byrnes, J., & Davidson, T. (2011). Breastfeeding. Retrieved March 17, 2015, from http://go.gale

group.com/ps/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=RELEVANCE&inPS=true&pro

dId=GVRL&userGroupName=lom_accessmich&tabID=T003&searchId=R1&resultListT

ype=RESULT_LIST&contentSegment=&searchType=BasicSearchForm¤tPosition=1&c

ontentSet=GALE|CX1919600300&&docId=GALE|CX1919600300&docType=GALE

Gale, a part of Cengage Learning, believes the library is the heart of its community,
driving meaningful and measurable outcomes for individual users and groups. Gale is a
partner to libraries and businesses looking to deliver educational content, tools and
services to support entrepreneurship, encourage self-directed learning, aid in research and
instruction, and provide enlightening experiences. Gale has been a leading provider of
research and education resources to libraries for 60 years and is committed to supporting
the continued innovation and evolution of libraries and their users.

Hale, T. (2012, November 7). Breastfeeding may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes:

Retrieved March 19, 2015, from http://www.infantrisk.comcontent/breastfeeding-may-re

duce-risk-type-2-diabetes-0

The InfantRisk Center at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center is a call center
based solely on evidence-based medicine and research. They are dedicated to providing
current and accurate information to pregnant and breastfeeding mothers and healthcare
professionals. They are a training center for medical and pharmacy students and medical
residents in the use of drugs in pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. The vision of the
InfantRisk Center is to create a new body of drug information concerning the hazards and
safety of medications and their use during pregnancy and during lactation. Ultimately,
they wish to funnel this information into an effort to extend and enhance their knowledge
of the use of medications and other environmental chemicals in pregnant and
breastfeeding women. Thomas W. Hale, RPh, PhD is a Professor of Pediatrics at Texas
Tech University School of Medicine is the Executive Director of the InfantRisk Center
and Associate Dean of Research. Dr. Hale is considered one of the foremost leading
experts in the field of perinatal pharmacology and the use of medications.
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How breastfeeding benefits you and your baby | BabyCenter. (n.d.). Retrieved March 17, 2015,

from http://www.babycenter.com/0_how-breastfeeding-benefits-you-and-your-baby_891

0.bc

BabyCenter is the world's partner in parenting, providing moms with trusted advice from
experts around the globe, friendship with other moms, and support that is remarkably
right at every stage of their child's development. BabyCenter has received numerous
prestigious awards, including 10 Webby Awards – most recently both the 2012 panel-
selected and People's Voice Webby Awards for Best Family/Parenting Site. BabyCenter
recently appeared on Advertising Age's Digital A-List. Their experts and insights have
been featured on many national news outlets, including NBC's Today, The Dr. Oz Show,
CNN, Fox News Channel, CBS This Morning, The View and ABC's Good Morning
America. Additionally, BabyCenter editors are often called to the White House to
represent American moms on the issues they care about most.

Oley, M. (2014, October 25). Column: Breast-feeding also offers benefits for moms. Retrieved

March 12, 2015, from http://www.stevenspointjournal.com/story/life/2014/10/26/colum

n-breast-feeding-also-offers-benefits-moms/17818747/

The author, Megan Oley, is a member of the Portage County Breastfeeding Coalition.
The Portage County Breastfeeding Coalition (PCBF Coalition) promotes and supports
breastfeeding. The group began in 2008 and is comprised of local professionals and
citizens who have united to support nursing moms and to educate businesses and the
public about the importance of breastfeeding in society. In 2006, Portage County received
a grant to help kids become active. This led to the creation of the Portage Country Can,
which is a network of local individuals and organizations interested in connecting all the
good work that’s already happening to make the community healthier.
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Seaman, A. (2015, February 23). Breastfeeding may protect babies from arsenic exposure.

March 19, 2015, from http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/23/us-breastfeeding-arseni

c-idUSKBN0LR0CW20150223

Andrew Seaman is a reporter covering healthcare and healthcare policy for Reuters, the
world’s largest international multimedia news provider. Before coming to Reuters’s New
York headquarters in 2011, he covered the implementation of the Affordable Care Act
from the company’s Washington, D.C. bureau. While there, he also served as a weekend
White House press pool reporter. Andrew is a 2011 graduate of Columbia University’s
Graduate School of Journalism, where he was named “Student of the Year,” which is
awarded to “a student whose energy and talent make him or her an example of a superior
Columbia Journalism graduate.” His work has appeared - among other places - in The
New York Times, The Washington Post, Politico, The Washington Times and USA
TODAY, where he completed two internships and worked as a contract writer for three
years. Andrew currently chairs the Society of Professional Journalists’ Ethics Committee
and also sits on the organization’s Generation J committee. He also sits on the
membership committee for the Association of Health Care Journalists and a nominating
board for the Shorty Awards.

Stuebe, A. (2009). The risks of not breastfeeding for mothers and infants. Retrieved March 16,

2015, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2812877/

Dr. Stuebe received her B.S. in Biology from Duke University in 1995. She attended
Washington University School of Medicine where she graduated with her M.D. in 2001.
She completed her Residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology in 2005 at Brigham
Women’s/Massachusetts's General Hospital and went on to complete her Fellowship in
Maternal Fetal Medicine in 2008 at Brigham Women’s Hospital as well. Dr. Stuebe
obtained her MSc in Epidemiology from Harvard School of Public Health in 2008. She
has been American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology certified since 2010. Dr. Stuebe
is Assistant Professor for the Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine. In the clinical arena,
she leads an interdisciplinary team of UNC clinicians that is developing new approaches
to management of breastfeeding difficulties.