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Article: The advantages of breastfeeding. (What Parents Want to Know About ....) (Column)
- Article from:
- Pediatrics for Parents
- Article date:
- September 1, 1994
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1994 Pediatrics for Parents, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Sometimes I do things backwards. Last month I discussed the "how to" ofbreast feeding. Now it is time for "why you should."
The easiest argument is that it makes sense. Every mammalian species produces a different milk, uniquely tailored to meet the needs of that species. For example, the fat content of seal milk is high while that of mouse milk is low. The protein, salt, and fat content and type are all dissimilar in different mammalian species. The only constituents that all mammalian milks have in common are water and lactose, a sugar only found in breast milk. Even those two constituents are present in unique amounts in each species' milk.
Breast ...