Introduction
The word ‘breast feeding’ means feeding the new born baby with the milk that is
produced in the mothers breast. The child sucks the milk from the breasts and
consumes milk. A new-born baby cannot digest any type of food including the
cow’s milk as the digestive tract in the body cannot digest any kind of hard
food. Mother’s milk or the breast milk can provide high content of nutrition to
the child. The baby grows healthy and strong when it consumes mother’s milk. In
countries like India, where people follow strict religious practices do not
encourage the mother’s to avoid breast feeding however capable they may be
economically to provide milk and other infants foods.
So far, even as proved by the medical experts, breast feeding is the best source
of nourishment to the child. However, some experts suggest the mother’s to
provide their infants with only a certain quantity of milk in a day. They state
that excessive feeding may lead to indigestion. Today there are many methods of
artifical breast feeding but they do not provide the child with the same
quantity of nutrition. During the period of World War I many infants lost their
lives due to the method of artificial breast feeding.
Many organizations like WHO, AAP, which are concerned to the health issues of
the world promote and encourage breast feeding.
Nutrients
Breast milk contains all the nutrients that are present in the blood of the
mother. but the composition of milk nutrients may vary day by day or even after
an hour depending upon the external factors such as climate. They depend upon
the overall health of the mother also. When the mother just starts feeding the
child, the form of milk is watery and the fat content is less, but the milk is
rich in carbohydrates. As the woman continues her feeding the texture of the
milk gets thicker.
There are many advantages of breast feeding. The chances for a woman to develop
diseases like breast cancer are less. She burns her extra calories in the body.
It helps her to regulate her body weight. It is an advantage to her infant also.
The antibodies present in the mother’s body pass on to the child’s body. It
brings a great sense of physiological fulfillment to the mother as she
experiences her motherly image. She can create a close bond between her child.
It benefits the child in many ways. The physical development of the child
depends upon the mother’s breast feeding. the mother can maintain her hormonal
balance by breast feeding. Although extensive studied conducted by the medical
experts speak about the advantages of breast feeding, some degree of risk is
also associated. The child may develop SIDS but the cases of deaths due to
breast feeding are very less. However, the reasons for death may be due to some
other complications also.
Diseases related to breast feeding
Some of the diseases that are related to breast feeding are 1.obesity. 2.
multiple sclerosis 3. Hodkin’s lymphoma. 4. gastrointestinitis. 5. urinary
tract infection.
Benefits of breast feeding
But breast feeding provides many other benefits. The body is immunized and
therefore the growth of microorganisms into the body is hampered. The body has
the immunity produced into the body to fight against the harmful microorganisms
into the body. It helps in easy recovery against injuries or small bruises that
may be caused to the body at some point of time.
The other nutrients derived from the breast milk are amino acids, methionine and
taurine that helps in the development of brain and nerve function. But the cow’s
milk contains a chemical called beta-lactoglobin that helps to fight against the
allergies.
Breast feeding does not require any finance and also it provides high degree of
energy to the baby and relaxation to the mother as chemicals such as oxytocin
and prolactin is hormones produced in the body. if a mother begins to breast
feed her child immediately after giving birth to the child, the levels of
oxytocin increase in the body.
Breast milk is nothing but the fat that is accumulated in the body during
pregnancy and hence by feeding the child in a day, she can lose calories.
Excessive breast feeding is also not suggestible because the ovulation process
cannot be regained faster. Later on, in the future she can encounter the
problem of irregular menstruations.
Some women have already experienced better health status. Most of the diabetic
mothers started using less insulin. The children who are fed for more than eight
months have rich mineral content formed in their bones.
Some woman have also experience a calm state of mind after breast feeding. After
childbirth some of them face mild depression disorder because after they start
breast feeding, they gain stability of mind.
The average weight growth of the child after breast feeding is researched as
follows.
He gains 175 gms in four months.
113-142 in 4 to 6 months.
Within one year he gains around 57-117 gms.
Technique of breast feeding
There are many difficulties involved in the process of breast feeding although
it is a natural human activity. Therefore the hospital staffs, lactation
consultants, midwives or nurses consult the mothers not to weigh, bathe or carry
any activity until the child is first breast fed. The ideal time to start breast
feeding is immediately one hour before the childbirth. The mother is consulted
to breastfeed the child after every two to three hours or eight sessions of
breast feed are ideal for the mother. the content of milk production will be
higher.
Initially the mother may experience frequent thirst but will reduce it
gradually.
The laws in U.S. have made liberal that a woman can conveniently breastfeed her
child anywhere she goes. Special rooms are constructed in public places such as
markets, stations, where the mother can take the child for breast feeding.
The techniques of breastfeeding should be proper, otherwise it causes pain in
the nipple. There are many ways to breast feed the child comfortably such as
holding the child in the cradling position, sitting position by sitting straight
and leaning comfortably or sling.
Most of the medical guidelines tell us that the infant should be breast fed
until it becomes six months of age. It must not receive any other type of
nutrition other than breast milk.
Mother’s milk is the best nutrition to the child.
