The evaporated and condensed milk were not only supposed to be an alternative to breast milk, but it was supposed to be cleaner and safer (Arnett, 2016). The textbook states that by the 1940s, only 20-30% of babies in the United States of America were breast-fed and until the 1970s, the percentage stayed in that range. Around the 1970s is when scientific evidence announced that breast milk was better for the baby. After finding out how much better breast milk was, UNICEF, the World Health Organization, and many other organizations started campaigning for breast milk. Recently, breastfeeding rates have grown to over 70% in Canada and the United States due to government-sponsored campaigns. In northern Europe, breast-feeding has become almost universal and in developed countries the higher the mother’s age, socioeconomic status, and her education level, the likelier she is to breast-feed her child (Arnett, …show more content…
The most important part of the milk for the baby to digest is the colostrum because this is where the most protein and antibodies will be. Colostrum will be present for only the first few days so it is very crucial that a newborn gets the colostrum before it is too late. Another benefit of breast-feeding is the cognitive development. Studies show that breast-fed infants score higher than bottle-fed infants in cognitive functioning (Arnett, 2016.) This may be because the nutrients in breast milk may promote early brain development because this piece of research holds up even after parents’ intelligence and education were controlled. Breast-feeding mainly benefits preterm or low birth weight infants because they would normally be at risk for cognitive development. It has also been found that breast-feeding for at least the first six months reduces the chances of obesity. Lastly, breast-feeding promotes health for the long-term in the form of promoting bone density, vision, and cardiovascular