Breastfeeding The ingredients of breast milk support brain development. The types of fatty substances, or lipids, in breast milk promote more rapid formation of the protective coatings, or myelin on brain cells. These lipids can be found in brain and eye tissue, and contribute to vision development.

Certain non-nutrient ingredients present in breast milk – enzymes, growth factors, and hormones – are thought to influence the rapid development of brain cells during infancy. Immune factors in breast milk protect from respiratory, ear and urinary tract infections, diarrhea, constipation and other gastrointestinal conditions both during the time an infant is breastfed and for a while after stopping breastfeeding. This protection may keep an infant in a healthier state, which can enable the infant to be more receptive to nurturing and new experiences.

Some lipids found in breast milk, such as DHA (docasahexaenoic acid) and ARA (arachidonic acid), have been added to some infant formulas. Other substances, such as the immune factors, are only found in breast milk.

Breastfeeding also promotes closeness between the mother and her baby. A baby nursing at the breast can focus on his mother’s face, allowing eye contact and visual communication between the two. The mother can give her baby her full attention, talking and singing to him as he nurses.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding for the first year of life and beyond, and their website, contains tips on breastfeeding. There are many benefits of breastfeeding even if a mother breastfeeds for a few weeks or months. Though breastfeeding is considered the most favorable feeding method for infants, commercial formulas also produce healthy outcomes for children. A mother who chooses or may need to use formulas can create the same benefits of visual communication and physical closeness by holding and nurturing her baby during feeding.