Importance of Breast Feeding
There has been many BREASTFEEDING CAMPAIGN to make all mothers especially Urban ares Mother to take care of their child and start breastfeeding for six months and don't delay the process.
Ms Radhakrishnan says, "Infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months. Nothing else, not even water is necessary for the baby up to six months of age. The composition of breast milk will take care of all the requirements of the baby. A baby needs breast milk, not artificial milk to grow well."
Advantages of breast milk for a baby:
• More easily digested and absorbed.
• Contains more lactose than any other milk. Lactose is essential for energy and helps in calcium and magnesium absorption.
• Contains more polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and essential fatty acids (EFA). EFA cannot be manufactured in the body.
• The protein in breast milk contains essential amino acids while artificial milk does not.
• Taurine which is plentiful in breast milk has been credited with favouring growth of the baby's brain.
• Contains vitamin D, correct amounts of calcium and phosphate.
• Contains antibodies (immunoglobulin) to fight against many infections.
• Has a substance called bifidus factor, which helps special bacteria to grow in the baby's intestine and prevent harmful bacteria.
• Has laxative properties so that the baby does not get constipated.
• Breast fed babies normally do not develop allergies.
• Less burden on the baby's kidneys as there is less urea from protein and less sodium to excrete
Moreover,risk of obesity at age five or six years could be reduced by 35 per cent if children were exclusively breast fed for three to five months.
The risk can be reduced further if children are breast fed for longer than five months.
Nature has packed the nutrients in breast milk in just the right quantities needed for the baby. 100 ml of breast milk contains: calories - 71, proteins - 1.2g, lactose - 7.Og, calcium - 33mg, vitamin A - 160 TU vitamin D - 1.4, vitamin B1 - 0.017mg, vitamin B2 - 0.04mg, vitamin B3 - 0.2m,g iron - 0.15mg. Colostrums', a yellowish fluid which is secreted for the first couple of days after the birth of the baby, is rich in vitamin A, copper, zinc and immunoglobulin, all of which are needed for the baby. "This is why breast feeds should be initiated within one hour after birth. Most mothers don't, either due to ignorance or pressure from their near and dear ones to avoid colostrums," according to Ms Radhakrishnan.
Advantages of breastfeeding for the mother:
• It has a contraceptive effect to some extent.
• It facilitates contraction of the uterus.
• It reduces hip girth and helps in return of original form.
• It helps to bond with the baby.
Below are given some important links for all you pregnancy related doubts:
- pregnancy-stages
- exercise-followed-during-pregnancy
- diet-exercise-during-pregnancy
- problems-during-pregnancy-and-their
- tips-for-mothersto-take-of-themselves
