The Topic I chose was Breastfeeding
I found this topic to be meaningful because I found a lot of useful information about breastfeeding that I didn’t know when I had my daughter. If breastfeeding had been explain to me in detail like the text book and other resources that I have read I may have considered breastfeeding as an option.
The part of the world I chose was Asia.
Dr. Chessa Lutter told BBC News, “that it’s not just of a matter of cost-it’s a matter of survival for infants in countries to be breast feed”(BBC News, 2007, p.1). Camboida women as well as women of other undeveloped countries have no other choice but to breastfeed. Most infant in these countries are born into poverty and have no way of getting clean water and to make sure the infants are feed they have to breastfeed (BBC News, 2007, p. 1). The rate of death s for infants declined in Cambodia by a third believed to be caused by breastfeeding (BBC News, 2007, p.1).
This information has impacted my future work because it has improved my understanding of the importance of breastfeeding for mother and their young infants. I will be able share with pregnancy mothers that I come in contact with the benefits they will gain from breastfeeding their newborn babies. This week discussion has been a great learning experience for me.
Tonetta,
ReplyDeleteI wrote of a similar situtation of breastfeeding in undeveloped countries. What amazes me the most here in our country is how much more access we do have to information and technology and how sometimes that superiority is our demise. Mind you we don't have the serious issues like some of these 3rd world countries do and our water is usually safer but I do know now after researching so much on breastfeeding that is my ultimate goal when I become a mother.
There is so much research out there today about breast feeding and it's importance. I did some research on access to healthy water and posted it to my blog. As you are probably aware everything the mother consumes affects her unborn child and consequently also affects breast feeding. That includes drinking water. Breast feeding is the only way of feeding infants in some countries therefore it must happen. Most of what you read in the United States about breast feeding is how good it is and will help support a healthy immune system in babies. From your research it's pretty obvious it's not going to support a healthy immune system in all babies. It can be very harmful and I would think deadly in some instances. I do feel for these mothers it's hard not too. In my case as an infant my mother's milk never came in so I guess I am lucky to have lived in a place with clean water and access to formula.
ReplyDeleteTonetta,
ReplyDeleteI discussed breastfeeding as well. I think that the US is not as supportive of breastfeeding as in other countries. Is this what you feel? I wanted to breast feed and expressed my concern that I couldn't the Doctor just put my son on Infamil. There was no encouragement to keep trying or pointing me towards people who could help. Even as as Doctor knowing the benefits of breastfeeding. It was so frustrating for me! Do you think that there are ways to better promote breastfeeding to young mothers who are in poverty situations?
Tonetta - thanks for selecting this topic for this week's blog discussion. I had a similar reaction. If I had better understood the advantages of breast feeding and if I had someone who took the time to show me better techniques, I would have breat-fed. Hind-sight is 20/20. The dramatic decrease in infant births in Cambodia (Marion, 2011) demonstrates the signficant benefit breast feeding can have. In addition to the biological advantages for babies, it allows the mother to have increased physical contact with her baby which may help her overall disposiiton (Berger, 2009).
ReplyDeleteReference:
Berger, K. S. (2009). The First Two Years, Biosocial Development. The developing person through childhood (5th ed.). (pp. 155). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.