By Martha A. Simpson, D.O., M.B.A.
Associate Professor of Family Medicine
Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine

WORK SCHEDULE SHOULDN’T DETER MOTHER-TO-BE FROM BREASTFEEDING

Question: I’m expecting my first child in November and am getting conflicting opinions about breastfeeding. Can you tell me the real facts about the pros and cons of breastfeeding? Since I have a job, it seems to me that it might be easier if I just bottle feed my baby.

Answer: As a family physician, I get questions like this frequently. I’ve chosen to address your question today because this first week in August is World Breastfeeding Week (WBW).

The truth is that there are a million pros and almost no cons when it comes to breastfeeding. This is because breast milk is the best food for almost every baby. Researchers have consistently found that breast-fed babies have lower rates of hospital admissions and fewer cases of diarrhea, rashes, allergies and ear infections.

The WBW theme for 2006 is “Code Watch: 25 Years of Protecting Breastfeeding.” This refers to the 25th Anniversary of the adoption by the World Health Assembly of the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes.” My goal in today’s column is to respect the spirit of this code, which seeks to give women accurate information about feeding their babies -- free of aggressive infant formula marketing.

One essential fact to keep in mind is that human milk is specially formulated for human babies. The protein in cow's milk, for instance, can be difficult for human babies to digest. Mother's milk, on the other hand, contains a more digestible protein as well as a "perfect mixture" of fatty acids, lactose, water, amino acids, living cells, hormones, active enzymes and immunoglobulins.

Babies who are bottle-fed may gain weight faster than those who are breast-fed, but this does not make them healthier. In fact, some research has shown that it may actually lead to weight problems later in life.

It’s also well-established that breast-fed babies have fewer illnesses because human milk transfers to the infant some of the mother's disease-fighting antibodies. That helps protect children from conditions such as pneumonia, influenza, bronchitis, German measles, ear infections and other bacterial infections.

Further, each mother produces antibodies to the diseases that are present in the environment in which she and her baby live. That means her milk is "custom-blended" to fight the germs that her baby is most likely to be exposed to.

Now to address your question about breast-feeding your baby while continuing to work. The balance between the demands of a job and of motherhood is always a difficult one. Each woman has to decide what the right balance is for her and her own personal situation. However, in almost all cases, you can continue to work and still provide your baby with the advantages of breast milk. For instance, breast pumps can be used to extract milk that can be placed in a bottle and then used to feed your baby during the work day when he or she is being cared for by a relative or in a day-care facility.

If you need more information on how to work breastfeeding your baby into your work schedule, I’d recommend contacting your local chapter of the La Leche League. To find a group near you, go to http://www.lalecheleague.org/WebUS.html and click on the name of the state in which you live.

Family Medicine® is a weekly column. To submit questions, write to Martha A. Simpson, D.O., M.B.A., Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, P.O. Box 110, Athens, Ohio 45701, or via e-mail to readerquestions@familymedicinenews.org. Medical information in this column is provided as an educational service only. It does not replace the judgment of your personal physician, who should be relied on to diagnose and recommend treatment for any medical conditions. Past columns are available online at www.familymedicinenews.org.