Posted by In my painting, I have a mother breastfeeding a child and in my essay, I explained there the passive humoral immunity a mother could give her child and what vitamins and minerals are there in the breast milk that helps and support an infant’s growth and development. As well as the benefits a mom could get from breastfeeding.
Steam Project: Breastfeeding’s Power
The objective of my STEAM project is, EXPLAINING THE BENEFITS OF BREASTFEEDING TO BOTH INFANT AND MOTHER. Breastfeeding is an amazing, powerful thing a mother could give to her child this is because she can pass humoral immunity to her baby using breastfeeding and the baby receiving breastmilk. According to the National Library of Medicine “breastfeeding is associated with long-term well-being including low risks of infectious disease and non-communicable diseases such as asthma, cancer, autoimmune diseases and obesity in childhood” This is because a mother’s breastmilk is full of developmental nutrients a newborn is needing and because of the humoral immunity, mother’s breastmilk is full of antibodies to help shape the infant’s immune system. Would you imagine breastmilk could help shape an infant’s immune system and it could also help with the development of the baby by passing a full pack of nutrition from the breastmilk to the baby as a mother’s breastmilk is full of vitamins and minerals for growth and development of the baby, here are some of the vitamins and minerals that breastmilk contains Thiamin or B1, this is essential in energy metabolism, meaning this is essential in the growth, development, and function of cells, Riboflavin this is involved in energy production and in helps with growth development. Having a low in Riboflavin will affect growth and impaired iron absorption. Vitamin B-6 is involved in amino acid metabolism and deficiency of this could interfere with the neurological development of an infant and could lead to behavioral abnormalities like irritability and increased startle response and seizures. Vitamin B-12 is essential in folate metabolism and DNA synthesis this could prevent developmental regression. Folate is necessary for protein, DNA, and RNA biosynthesis and this is vital during periods of growth and development. Vitamin C stimulates leukocytes, augments antibody production, and enhances the synthesis of interferons. There is also vitamin A, which is the highest in the colostrum, this is ensuring healthy infant growth as well as development. Vitamin D plays an important role in the infant’s bone growth, immune system development, as well as brain development. Vitamin E is vital for providing antioxidant protection to the fetus and newborns and it also stimulates immune system development. Vitamin K is also present as well as Iron, Copper, Zinc, Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Iodine, Selenium, Amino acids, Lipids, and Carbohydrates these are vital for the growth, and development of the baby. Not only babies benefit from breastfeeding but also the mother itself. Breastfeeding stimulated oxytocin which is a love hormone this promotes bonds between mother and child. A mother that breastfeeds gives a lot of benefits and support to her child and in the process of providing humoral immunity, giving nutrition, and supporting the development and growth of the baby through breastfeeding, the mother also has benefits from breastfeeding such as reducing the risk of breast and ovarian cancer, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure. Breastfeeding also helps the mother to reduce the risk of getting depression as oxytocin is high when breastfeeding because oxytocin also stimulates breastmilk production. Breastfeeding is a powerful gift a mother could give her child which is why the World Health Organization (WHO) is encouraging mothers to breastfeed their infants at least until six months of their life.
Work Cited
Larson, Don. “Immune and Lymphatic System.” August 2023. PowerPoint.
“Breastfeeding Benefits Both Baby and Mom.” Center of Disease Control and Prevention, 12 Jul. 2023, www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpao/features/breastfeeding-benefits/index.html#:~:text=Breast%20milk%20antibodies%20help%20protect,against%20certain%20illnesses%20and%20diseases.
G. Lokossou, G. A., Kouakanou, L., Schumacher, A., & Zenclussen, A. C. (2021). Human Breast Milk: From Food to Active Immune Response With Disease Protection in Infants and Mothers. Frontiers in Immunology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2022.849012
Dror, D. K., & Allen, L. H. (2018). Overview of Nutrients in Human Milk. Advances in Nutrition, 9(Suppl 1), 278S. https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmy022
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Her project explains the benefits of breastfeeding to both the infant and the mother. A big benefit to the infant is the humoral immunity from receiving mother’s breastmilk. The humoral immunity is passed to the infant through breastmilk and the immunity is associated with long-term well-being benefits because the mother’s breastmilk has developmental nutrients, antibodies, vitamins, and minerals that all help with the development of the infant as well as the infant’s immune system. Benefits from mother breastfeeding include reduced risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, type two diabetes, high blood pressure, and depression. Depression becomes less of a risk because breastfeeding stimulates oxytocin which is a love hormone and promotes the bond between the infant and the mother.