The Joy of Learning

Have you ever been to children’ football or baseball games? It is fascinating to watch the mothers who are almost omnipotent at children football and baseball practices or the little leagues. Some parents can get really competitive and pushed their children really hard. But, most moms are so lovingly provided the support needed without grumblings. They just want their children to have the best and memorable childhood experiences.

Moms have always been a major part of a child’s earliest sport experience, be it baseball and football.  Moms are there to “train” them to play the games. They are the ones who pick up the Baseball Gloves, drive them around and to the field, put band-aids on their knees, and console them when they fail.

Many mothers are willing to make this worthwhile investment with their time because they believe the team sport helps in molding character, developing love and trust and help instilling a solid value system. The contribution of this moms is an immeasurable act that leading the cheers and caring for the youngsters of the family. The many hours of getting them to the ball park in time for practice and car pooling to ensure all players got to the game on time can be hectic. They may not have much personal time or time to sit in front of the TV or use theirhome theater furniture very much!

In the midst of the widespread formula milk contamination scandal, may be it’s time for health departments in developing countries to undo the widespread misconception that formula is better than mother’s milk. The branding agencies and Marketing Company hired by this formula milk manufacturers have certainly doing a good job. Many people in Asia are brain washed to believe that formula is better for the babies.

Mothers’ milk has many benefits. Even if you are able to breastfeed for only a short time, your baby’s immune system can benefit from breast milk. Here are many other benefits of breast milk for a mother, her baby and other.

Breast milk is the most complete form of nutrition mother nature provides for infants. A mother’s milk has just the right amount of fat, sugar, water, and protein that is needed for a baby’s growth and development. Most babies find it easier to digest breast milk than they do with formula. As a result, breastfed infants grow exactly the way they should. They tend to gain less unnecessary weight and to be leaner. This may result in being less overweight later in life. Premature babies do better when breastfed compared to premature babies who are fed formula. Researches have shown that breastfed babies score slightly higher on IQ tests, especially babies who were born pre-maturely.

Nursing uses up extra calories, making it easier to lose the pounds of pregnancy, you won’t need any diet pill! It also helps the uterus to get back to its original size and lessens any bleeding a woman may have after giving birth. Breastfeeding, especially exclusive breastfeeding (no supplementing with formula), delays the return of normal ovulation and menstrual cycles, which lowers the risk of breast and ovarian cancers, and possibly the risk of hip fractures and osteoporosis after menopause. Breastfeeding makes your life easier. It saves time and money. You do not have to purchase, measure, and mix formula. There are no bottles to warm in the middle of the night! A mother can give her baby immediate satisfaction by providing her breast milk when her baby is hungry. Breastfeeding requires a mother to take some quiet relaxed time for herself and her baby, that can help a mother to bond with her baby. Physical contact is important to newborns and can help them feel more secure, warm and comforted. Thus, breastfeeding mothers may have increased self-confidence and feelings of closeness and bonding with their infants.

Breastfeeding can save on health care costs because fully breastfed infants typically need fewer sick care visits, prescriptions, and hospitalizations. Thus, breastfeeding contributes to a more productive workforce as parents miss less work to care for sick infants. Furthermore it is better for our environment because there is less trash and plastic waste compared to that produced by formula cans and bottle supplies.

A scandal surrounding milk containing melamine, a chemical used to make plastics and fertilizer surfaced. not long after the scandal about a diet pill that caused health problem. In China, thousands of children have developed kidney stones or other illnesses after drinking contaminated baby formula and a few deaths have been blamed on the bad milk. The unscrupulous manufacturers trying to cut costs are believed to have diluted their milk while adding melamine because its high nitrogen content can fool tests aimed at verifying protein levels.

Since the scandal erupted earlier this month, melamine-tainted products have also turned up in an increasing number of Made in China products - from candies to yogurt to rice balls. The list of products caught in the tainted milk scandal grew  to include baby cereal, snack foods and vegetables. The woes were the latest blow to China’s troubled manufacturing industry, which came under intense scrutiny last year after melamine and other industrial toxins were found in exports ranging from toothpaste to a pet food ingredient.

This time, the products of some of the international name brands who have their manufacturing plants in China were also cited. It’s probably the busiest time for the Branding managers. Health experts say ingesting a small amount of melamine poses no danger, but in larger doses, the chemical can cause kidney stones and lead to kidney failure. Infants are particularly vulnerable.