Dr. Anuj Jain

A mother’s milk is said to be the most nutritious food for a newborn baby. It contains the perfect balance of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals needed for your baby and changes to keep up with your baby’s growing needs. However, the benefits of breastfeeding extend way beyond nutritional value. Breastfeeding is beneficial for both you and your baby. Ideally, a baby should be breastfed for at least the first six months.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that every mother should start breastfeeding within an hour of giving birth to a baby and the process should continue for at least two years.

Here are 5 major benefits of breastfeeding.

1. Stronger immunity: Mother’s milk is rich in antibodies and a number of unique compounds that help the newborn child’s body fight bacterial and viral infections. No other form of baby food is as rich in these antibodies. Babies who have been breastfed have a lower risk of suffering from ailments such as ear infection, stomach upsets and respiratory problems. The first milk expressed by a woman’s breasts after giving birth is known as colostrums. This milk coats the baby’s digestive system and prevents the growth of harmful bacteria.
2. Fewer allergies: Breast milk is easier to digest than formula or cow’s milk. This protects the gastrointestinal passages from inflammation and prevents undigested food from triggering allergic reactions. Being breastfed can also reduce the number of allergies a child may suffer from in their later years.
3. Healthy body weight: Breastfeeding makes a child less likely to suffer from obesity in their later childhood and adult years. This is because breast milk contains less insulin and more hormones as compared to formula. This helps regulate fat absorption. On an average, babied fed on formula put on weight quickly and are more likely to overeat in their later years.
4. Stronger bones: Breastfeeding is beneficial for both the child and the mother. When a woman is breastfeeding her child, her body’s ability to absorb calcium increases. This helps increase bone density, especially as pregnancy can make bones weak.
5. Builds a strong mother-child bond: After 9 months of carrying a child to term, giving birth may lead to postpartum depression and a mother may feel the connection between her and the child severed. Breastfeeding helps nurture this connection and provides emotional relief to both the mother and child. For the mother, this experience releases hormones that reduce stress and relax the body. For the baby, close physical contact is very important and this process provides the perfect opportunity to do so.
6. Getting back to shape: Breastfeeding helps a woman get back into shape after giving birth to a baby. A woman loses a large number of calories while breastfeeding.
7. Eliminating the risk of certain cancers: Breastfeeding also helps women in reducing the chances of cancers like breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

Although no one can entirely avoid catching a virus, a sincere effort to prevent the onset of a viral infection should definitely be made. True, that vaccinations really help curb the onset of flu and other viral infections, but a healthy diet and lifestyle are as essential. A nutritious and balanced diet along with regular exercises, will ensure that the immune system of the body remains strong, thus protecting you from viral fever and cold. If you are quite susceptible to cold and the flu, it is a cause for concern as it indicates poor immune system functioning. In this case, ensure that you bring certain changes to your diet and maintain good hygiene.

Here are a few tips which will help you stay away from viruses and infections-

1. Make sure you take in plenty of Vitamin D: Vitamin D is known to offer great protection against viral infections such as cold and the flu and the best source of it is the sun. This is why cases of flu are more common during the winter months, when the days are short.
2. Wash hands: Make it a point to wash your hands before every meal and after every visit to the toilet. Ensure that children do the same and consciously inculcate this habit in them. Most viral infections are spread through touch; while one can definitely not stop contact with other human beings and things, viral infection can be greatly avoided by maintaining this hygienic habit.
3. Eat warm meals: Viruses can live under normal temperatures, but die due to high temperature. Thus, ensure that you eat warm meals to prevent the onset of viral infections.
4. Try not to share personal utilities: Sharing personal belongings such as razors, toothbrushes and towels is another easy way of catching a virus. Avoid doing so especially when you are aware that viral infection is pretty rampant.
5. Make sure you get your vaccinations at the right time: Today, flu vaccinations can be taken either yearly or in the span of 6 months. Make sure that you have taken yours on time to prevent the onset of any viral infection.

Viral infections are easy to catch, and will definitely affect your daily activities for a short period of time. It is thus, essential that you take the necessary precautions to prevent such infections. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!