Breastfeeding Older Children
| New born babies and infants exclusively depend on mother’s milk as their only source of nutrients and nourishment. Breast milk has been known to contain a vast reserve of minerals, vitamins, disease fighting proteins and other growth factors that are vital for the normal growth and development of a new born. |
Children at this age have an extrusion tongue reflex or tongue thrusting motion that helps a baby to suck milk from mother’s breast. However, several mothers have reservation about the age of breast feeding.
The process of stopping breastfeeding to children is called as ‘weaning’. It is completely up to the jurisdiction of the mother and the baby to decide about right time for weaning. It is usually recommended to feed babies with solid food at six months of age. As the babies grow in age, their interest for solid food grows. Breast feeding can be gradually stopped at this stage. However, it is advisable to feed babies on breast milk until two years of age as per WHO guidelines.
Apart from nutrition, there is another important advantage of breast feeding. Baby feeding on mother’s milk feels more secure and comfortable. Breast milk helps in soothing the child when he is tired, sick or hurt. In many cultures, weaning occurs naturally when the baby reaches three to four years of age. Extended dependence of babies on breast milk often worries parents that the child would become dependent. However, research has proved that children actually become independent if they are breastfed for a longer duration.
Extended breast feeding is also helpful to mothers. This is a method of contraception. Breast feeding causes release of hormones called Oxytocin and Prolactin that help in delaying fertility. Breast feeding to older aged children improves the complexity and health of mothers and offers protection against diseases such as cancer, arthritis, diabetes and osteoporosis.
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