The public health topic I chose to write about is breastfeeding. This topic is one very close to my heart since my children were both breastfed as babies. I truly believe that apart from the very many health benefits for both the baby and mother breastfeeding is a first way of bonding with your baby and creating that first foundation for a strong relationship. I will never forget the look in Tudor`s eyes or how he would hold onto my finger with his tiny hand. Those moments are priceless for me!!!

 Breast milk is widely acknowledged as the most complete form of nutrition for infants, with a range of benefits for infants' health, growth, immunity and development.
-- Healthy People 2010, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia

Studies have demonstrated a number of important health benefits to breastfeeding. Among them:

• Breast-fed children are more resistant to disease and infection early in life than formula-fed children
• Breast-fed children are less likely to contract a number of diseases later in life, including juvenile diabetes, multiple sclerosis, heart disease, and cancer before the age of 15
• Mothers who breastfeed are less likely to develop osteoporosis later in life, are able to lose weight gained during pregnancy more easily and have a lower risk of breast, uterine and ovarian cancer.

I decided to take a look at what breastfeeding looks like in Japan. I have an interest in Japanese culture which began 2 years ago when I lived and taught there. I was very curious about how the Japanese felt about breastfeeding. 

 Having healthy children is highly valued in the Japanese culture. Breastfeeding is viewed as necessary for the health of the child. There are some Japanese kindergarten admission applications that ask how long the child was breastfed. Something that demonstrates the importance of breastfeeding is the fact that a figurine or plaque may be given to the breastfeeding mother to help her prayers for sufficient milk. Breastfeeding may continue for a year or longer. Many Japanese women are caught between the traditional values and customs, and "modern" concepts of working outside the home, formula bottle feeding and how women in the United States feed their infants. I guess no mater how important it is culturally, unfortunately, everyone gets caught up in busy lives and ends up bottle feeding sooner that later.

I think that reading about breastfeeding and how important it is for children will support my continued growth on child development. I would like to use my knowledge to help inform mothers in order to make the best possible choices for their children and themselves. I have not yet figured out how I will go about that but it is something I am continuously considering.