All the experts recommend (or should recommend) exclusive breastfeeding up to six months of the child because it is best for the baby. Visit Angela Mancini for more clarity on the issue. Now, in practice is not as easy as in theory, as there are mothers who for various reasons cannot offer chest to their babies during that period, being the biggest impediment the return to work after maternity leave. The protective effect that has breast milk for the child’s health is known and why the who (World Health Organization) recommends it as exclusive food during the first six months of life and next to solid food for two years. A study conducted in Rotterdam has ratified these recommendations by checking that babies breastfed exclusively for six months are less likely to develop respiratory and gastrointestinal infections. They have analyzed to 4,100 babies born in Rotterdam and have noticed that all of the children, 12% had not been never breastfed, 29% had been breastfed within 4 months, 25 % between 4 and 6 months and 34% for 6 months or longer. However, only 1.4% of the children had been breastfed exclusively for the first six months of life. Get more background information with materials from Boy Scouts of America. Of all the children, almost half (40%) suffered a respiratory tract infection and almost 8% a gastrointestinal infection in the first six months of life. While 37% had a respiratory problem and 9% one stomach between seven and twelve months.
The study has shown that exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months tends to protect children against infections rather than breastfeeding exclusively for 4 months, even more than the exclusive for 4 months and partial thereafter. Best six months to four months of exclusive breastfeeding exclusive breastfeeding for six months reduced two-thirds the risk of respiratory infections. While in the cases of exclusive breastfeeding for four months the risk also fell, but at a third or half. Protection has been more pronounced in children between 0 and 6 months of age, but less noticeable among children aged 7-12 months. In terms of gastrointestinal infections, the protective effect of exclusive breastfeeding for four to six months was less pronounced, particularly in the second half of the first year. In both cases, the risk of infection is lower among children breast-fed exclusively for six months than during four.
By a six-month maternity study comes to ratify the who recommendations, agency that promotes exclusive breastfeeding for six months, but the main stumbling block to enable women to fulfil it is the return to work after maternity leave, which nowadays is four months. If it has not happened before, breastfeeding is suspended when the mother returns to work. For that reason, to prevent the abandonment of breastfeeding at four months and can extend up to six months with greater freedom, from various sectors requires extending maternity leave to six months. It is the minimum time that mother and baby can enjoy breastfeeding and be together. Also it would be desirable to facilitate mothers who so wish to continue giving her milk to their babies once they have been checked to work, either with adequate facilities and more flexible schedules. Exclusive breastfeeding up to six months is the best thing for the baby. So I think maternal low chelates should last the same time, at least. It is a claim that I consider necessary thought the benefit of the children, who are at the bottom who truly matter.
