Child Development and Public Health

The topic I chose is breastfeeding. I am a supporter of breastfeeding because I have done it myself. For the first year, my son had all the benefits of breast milk. I was a working mother and did pump as often as possible to have milk for my child during the day when he went to his daycare. I have to admit, breastfeeding can be an inconvenience at times. For example, I had to excuse myself about every hour to hour and a half when we had guests or go to the car when we were out. However, the benefits cannot be ignored. My son was always healthier than other children in his classroom. It was also cheaper. I had several friends and was surprised on how much money they spent each month on formula alone. Breastfeeding is therefore a great benefit for anyone who has low income. Other benefits are a balance of nutrition, micro nutrients, less ear infections, better vision and protections against childhood diseases (Berger, 2009). There are also  many benefits for mothers as well. Nothing brings a child and a mother closer together than breastfeeding. As much as I hated getting up every hour to hour and a half, I hated stopping to feed more. I still woke up in the middle of the night or found myself thinking I have to feed or pump for a long time. Even though me and my son are still close, it is a different bond. It also helped me loose the weight I gained during my pregnancy within a short period of time. The last benefit is that breastfeeding makes making good choices in your own diet much easier. I was a lot more health conscious while feeding since I realized what I eat, my child eats as well. Therefore, I was very careful in what I ate.

I researched the topic of breastfeeding in other countries. I found an article by Mane at al (2006). They researched the decline of mothers ceasing breastfeeding before the age of 15 month in West Africa. The study included 12208 children born between 1987 and 1997 in a rural area of Senegal. They interviewed mothers and found that children who were weaned early had a higher mortality rate before the age of two: "Our results showed that early cessation of breastfeeding was rare but that associated mortality was high, especially when the mother had died" (Mane at al, 2006). 
Wardlaw at al (2010) had another interesting article about developing countries and how breastfeeding can make a huge difference. The article explains that nearly one in every five children die form diarrhea (1.5 million a year) . Amongst providing vitamin supplements, the article says that exclusive breastfeeding can prevent many of these deaths.

References
Berger, K. S. (2009) The developing person through childhood (5th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.
Mané, N. Binta; Simondon, Kirsten B.; Simondon, François; Diallo, Aldiouma; Marra, Adama M. (2006). Early Breastfeeding Cessation in Rural Senegal: Causes, Modes, and Consequences. American Journal of Public Health, Vol. 96 Issue 1, p139-144, 6p.

Wardlaw, T., Salama, P., Brocklehurst, C., Chopra, M., Mason, E. (2010). Diarrhoea: why children are still dying and what can be done. London: The Lancet,Vol. 375, Iss. 9718; pg. 870, 3 pgs.