Question

1. Evelyn’s baby is due in three weeks. She is debating on whether to breast-feed or formula-feed her baby. She works as a childcare assistant in a nursery and observed that breast-fed infants don’t seem to get sick as often as those who are formula-fed. As a student of Anatomy and Physiology course, explain to her

   a) the benefits of breast feeding to mother and infant. [5 Marks] b) the possibility of breast-feeding her baby until 9 months or longer in term of hormonal regulation? [3 Marks]

Answer 1

Dear Student,

a, Benefits of breast feeding - It increases immunity , it contains antibodies , lowers the risk of asthma, allergies , etc in baby and they are less prone to infections.

Breast feeding also helps the mother to lose weight , helps uterus contraction , decreases risk of many diseases like rheumatoid arthritis , cardiovascular diseases, etc .

B, when the mother stops breast feeding, the changes that occur are a drop in the prolactin and oxytocin levels. After stopping breast feeding after 9 months, the hormones return normal in 6-8 weeks.

If you have any doubts, feel free to ask..!