The Importance of Breastfeeding for Baby’s Immune System

If you are a breastfeeding mom, you might face plenty of challenges! Right from plenty of sleepless nights with engorged breasts to make your little one learn to latch- breastfeeding is quite not a very charming experience as you expected. Though it is a big challenge for you, let us tell you that you are providing the best possible nutrition to your baby. Breast milk helps in maintaining your baby and keeping them healthy. Not only this, but it also helps in building a strong immune system for your baby as it is rich in antibodies.

Breast milk: the infection fighter

As per the health experts, “breast milk contains antibodies that can fight infection. Those antibodies are present in high amounts in colostrum, the first milk that comes out of the breasts right after birth. However, there are antibodies in breast milk the entire time a mother continues to nurse.” With these antibodies, breast milk helps in building the baby’s immune system which further helps in saving him from infectious illness. Along with it, breast milk also contains proteins, fats, sugars and even white blood cells that safeguard the baby’s health while assisting it in fighting infectious diseases.

Since the milk directly goes into the stomach of the baby, it assists in fighting gastrointestinal infections and works in various ways to protect your little one. There are various nutrients in breast milk that work directly within the intestine before getting absorbed and transporting the entire body. This process further builds a stage for a strong immune system. Other nutrients like lactoferrin and interleukin-6, -8 and -10 found in breast milk directly work on the immunity of the baby while saving him from different infectious diseases. These are the types of proteins that assist in balancing the immune system inflammatory response and are quite vital in making the immune system work properly.

The antibodies found in breast milk are quite beneficial for the babies and offer many benefits including:

• Provide protection from ear infections
• Decreased chances of respiratory tract infections
• Decreased risk of getting colds and flues
• Saves from plenty of gut infections
• Decrease the chances of intestinal tissue damage
• Minimise the chances of inflammatory bowel disease

Footnote

Undoubtedly, breast milk is a powerful medicine. It helps in providing accurate doses of nutrition to your little one while building a strong immune system. Make sure to maintain good hygiene while breastfeeding to decrease the risk of germs transmission.