There is something you can feed your newborn to enhance his or her
brain development, improve his or her cognitive development, and
increase his or her IQ score. This food also contains immunities to
diseases and aids in the development of his or her immune system. It is
also known to promote bonding between the mother and child. In
addition, providing this food has benefits to the mother as well. This
food is human breast milk.



While there are many feeding options for your newborn or infant
available, breast milk is the best option available. Human breast milk
is specially designed to meet the needs of the individual child being
fed, thus making it the perfect food for your infant.



During the first year of life, the brain grows rapidly. Research has
determined a child's first three years are the most critical in brain
development, so it is important to make sure your baby gets the
nourishment he needs to develop to his fullest potential.
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (ARA), long-chain
polyunsaturated fatty acids, are known to support brain and visual
development. Babies are not able to produce these important fatty acids
until six months of age. Breast milk provides these for your infant,
helping to improve his cognitive development. Longitudinal studies done
on both premature and full-term infants have shown that children who
were breast-fed have higher IQ scores. Results have shown eight to
nine-year-old children, who were breast-fed for at least one year, had
IQ scores from three to ten points higher than their formula-fed peers.
These children were administered the Revised Wechsler Intelligence
Scale for Children (WISC-R), and the child’s total IQ score was used.
There was also a consistent and statistically significant increase in
reading comprehension, mathematical ability, and scholastic ability
during the period from ten to thirteen years of age. Breast milk really
is brain food.



Every mother wants to have a healthy baby. Human breast milk can help
in this regard. Many studies show that breastfeeding strengthens the
immune system. Through breast milk, the mother passes antibodies to the
child that help the child resist diseases. Over eighty percent of the
cells in breast milk are microphages, cells that kill bacteria. These
antibodies help to protect the infant from pneumonia, bronchitis,
staphylococcal infections, influenza, ear infections and many more
illnesses. A formula-fed infant is twice as likely to be hospitalized
with pneumonia as a breast-fed infant. Children who are exclusively
breast-fed during the first three months of their lives are 34 percent
less likely to develop juvenile, insulin-dependent diabetes than
children fed formula. Formula-fed children are eight times more likely
to develop cancer than children who are nursed for a minimum of six
months. The current recommendation by the A.A.P., the American Academy
of Pediatrics, is to exclusively breastfeed an infant for six months
and to continue breastfeeding through the first birthday. The World
Health Organization recommends to breastfeed your child until the age
of two. With each additional day your child is breastfed, you can feel
secure that you are feeding him or her the best possible food available.



In addition to the benefits of breastfeeding seen in childhood, there
are also many long-term benefits to breastfeeding your child. Blood
cholesterol levels have been found to be lower in adults who were
breast-fed as children than those who were fed formula, resulting in a
lower risk of cardiovascular disease. There is also less risk of
Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis in adulthood. Multiple sclerosis
is less likely to develop in adults who were breast-fed as children.
Last, but certainly not least, there is significant evidence to suggest
that adults who were breast-fed experience fewer psychological,
behavioral and learning problems throughout life. This could be the
result of the increased mother-child contact that comes with nursing.
The benefits of breastfeeding your infant last a lifetime.



The act of breastfeeding also provides benefits for the mother.
Immediately following birth, when an infant latches onto the breast, a
hormone called oxytocin is released. This hormone helps the mother’s
uterus to contract back to its pre-pregnancy size, eliminating the need
for medication like Pitocin. Oxytocin and prolactin, hormones secreted
into the mother’s body during breastfeeding, also promote the
development of maternal behavior and increase bonding. This increased
infant-maternal bonding has also proven to reduce child abuse.
Breastfeeding helps a woman to lose weight after birth. Mothers burn an
estimated five hundred calories per day during lactation as their
bodies produce milk. Breastfeeding also reduces the mother's risk of
developing osteoporosis in later years. Although mothers experience
bone-mineral loss during breastfeeding, after lactation ceases their
mineral density is replenished and is even increased. Breast cancer,
uterine cancer and endometrial cancer rates are greatly reduced in
mothers who have breast-fed. Finally, one of the most important things
that breastfeeding provides a mother with is self-confidence. The
knowledge that she has the ability to produce all of the nutrients that
her child needs can provide her with a great sense of confidence.
Researchers have pointed out that the bond of a nursing mother and
child is stronger than any other human contact. Holding the child to
her breast provides most mothers with a more powerful psychological
experience than carrying the fetus inside her uterus. The relationship
between mother and child is established through the interactions of
breastfeeding. This feeling creates the health and psychological
foundation for years to come.



There are many reasons mothers give for not breastfeeding their infant.
Some mothers feel that they would be unable to produce enough milk.
According to La Leche League International, nearly every mother is able
to produce enough milk to adequately nourish her baby. Supply is built
up by nursing the baby when he or she exhibits signs of hunger. Other
mothers may feel it is a waste of their time, as they will be returning
to work when their infant is six weeks old. However, it has been proven
that breastfeeding the first milk, colostrum, during the infants first
days of life is especially beneficial to the health of the infant. A
modest mother may not want to breastfeed, knowing that she may have to
nurse her baby in public. Passersby will never know that a mother is
nursing her infant if a blanket is used to cover up. There is also the
option of pumping breast milk and storing it in a bottle for use in
public. While there are many arguments mothers may make not to
breastfeed, their arguments are in most cases simply invalid.



There is a food available that has been proven to enhance your infant’s
brain development, raise his or her IQ, help develop his or her immune
system, and promote bonding. It travels well, requires no mixing or
sterilizing, and it is available to you, as a mother, for free. This
miracle food is human breast milk. Formula companies can tout the
advantages of their products, however, as the FDA, the Food and Drug
Administration, has recognized, the exact chemical makeup of breast
milk is still unknown. No laboratory will ever be able replicate human
breast milk. Remember that breast milk is best for your infant.