Breast Feedings: Importance & Practices
Important of Breast Feeding Breast Milk also Known as First immunization. Breastfeeding is important for a baby health and Mother health it provides the baby with necessary nutrients, promote growth and help to strengthen the baby immune system. Now a days, many women are axiety about feed their baby cause they worry about own health that cause directly and indirectly detorate baby Health. Breast milk provides nutrients, vitamins, proteins, fat and antibodies to help your baby body and brain develop properly, baby also emotionally attach .skin to skin contact with mom creates a strong bond and scene of security Benefit of Breastfeeding and have a lower risk of allergies,low risk of obesity and type 1 and 2 diabetes, reduce from infection (otitis media) better to immunization against polio, tetanus, Diphtheria, and Hemophiliacs influenza. Various studies have found that children who were breastfed exclusively for the first 6 months of life were less likely to contract an infection, develop diseases, or develop allergies. Furthermore, breast-milk is more easily digested, promotes digestive health, and helps to establish and maintain the child’s microbiome. Science Daily has found that breastfeeding reduces the chance that a mother’s child will develop autism. Child may develop autism because his brain neurons are unmyelinated. Demyelination may occur because the child has an inadequate supply of insulin-like growth factor (IGF), which is due to a combination of environmental and genetic factors. The study proposes that breast milk, which contains IGF, increases deficient IGF levels in susceptible children and helps to prevent the onset of autism.
A mother’s breast milk, however, can also create vulnerability in her child. There is mounting evidence that shows toxins in a mother’s breastmilk increases the chances that a child will develop autism or other health complications. A mother may be exposed to toxins through her environment or diet. Breast milk contain a 71 kcal,protein 1.2gm, fat 3.8gm, calcium 33mg% ,Iron o.1mg% , Phosphorus 15mg%, vitamin A 80IU, Vitamin D 0.125 IV, Vitamin c 1.25mg.
WHO recommendations
Infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life to achieve optimal growth, development and health.
Thereafter, to meet their evolving nutritional requirements, infants should receive nutritionally adequate and safe complementary foods, while continuing to breastfeed for up to two years or beyond
Breastfeeding Practices
The determinants of children’s growth include genetic potentialities, family size, lifestyle, socio-economic environment, infections, nutrition and the availability of medical care. However, nutrition is the most prominent factor which can either directly or indirectly influences children’s future development. For instance, those children who are malnourished and manage to survive do not enjoy a good health and experience impaired development in the long run. there is a rising concern about overweight and obesity in children. Therefore, proper nutrition and nurturing during the early years of life is crucial for an infant to achieve optimal health and well-being. Hence, there is no more precious gift in infancy than breast feeding. Breastfeeding is an unequalled way of providing ideal food for the healthy growth and development of infants; it is also an integral part of the reproductive process with important implications for the health of mother”.Saha et al.,23 reported that the current recommendations of WHO and UNICEF on breastfeeding are as follows Initiation of breastfeeding within the first hour after the birth.Exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months.Continued breastfeeding for two years or more and proper introduction of solid foods starting in the sixth month which are nutritionally safe and adequate.
Exclusive Breastfeed
Exclusive Breastfeeding means breast milk from the mother or a wet nurse or expressed breast milk. The WHO and UNICEF, both recommend that mothers should breastfeed their child exclusively for the first 6 months and continue breastfeeding up to 2 years or longer rather than stop EBF practice as from 4-6 months.
Although breastfeeding an infant exclusively for the first 6 months of life carries numerous benefits, many studies are centered on the “weanling’s dilemma” in developing countries which involves choosing between the protective effects of exclusive breastfeeding against infectious diseases and the (theoretical) insufficient breast milk to meet the infants’ energy and micronutrient needs beyond four months of age. However, the author claimed that there is no data giving an estimate of the proportion of exclusively breastfed infants at risk of specific nutritional deficiencies.
Conclusion
Breastfeeding is the gold standard of infant feeding up to 6 months.It remains the most cost effective way for reducing the risk of diseases such as obesity, hypertension, eczema, type diabetes among others in later life as well as mortality. Breast engorgement, sore nipples, milk insufficiency and availability of various infant formulas are the main factors which influence breastfeeding practice in terms of initiation, exclusivity and duration. On the other hand, complementary foods in terms of nutrient-dense are normally introduced around 4 to 6 months. Difficulties encountered during the weaning process are often refusal to eat followed by vomiting, colic, allergic reactions and diarrhea. Given related problems associated with breastfeeding, it is highly likely that in the future, nutrigenomics (or nutrigenetics) based research will provide opportunities towards personalized modification of breast milk for optimum health of neonates.
Maya Devi Adhikari "Manisha"
B.N./KMHSON
STAFF NURSE, Manmohan MTH, KTM
