The presentation by Ms. Kaupa on Infant and Childhood nutrition was fascinating to me because some day I aspire to become a pediatrician. Before this presentation I knew breast milk was essential because of the antibodies it provided for the baby. However, after the presentation I know understand infant nutrition is much more complex than needing fat and antibodies. The first fact I learned is that infancy has the most rapid growth per size than any other time in life. An infant’s goal is to gain an oz every day for the first 3 months of life. This can be done best through exclusively breast milk. Breast milk is composed of carbs, protein, fat, iron and calcium. This milk is made by the mother’s body to foster a growing babies needs. However
“In addition to possessing IgA, breast milk contains a range of other nutritional components.” (Niers 347). It is important to evaluate the ingredients and nutritional value in infant formula compared to breast milk. "Human milk contains at least 100 ingredients that are not found in formula.” (Jahn 13) Comparing vitamins, minerals, proteins, and fats are some of the components to evaluate. After reviewing The Journal of Nutrition, Assessment of Nutrition Requirement for Infant Formulas on Minerals and on Vitamins, with very careful review on the vitamins A, D, E, K, Thiamine, Riboflavin, Niacin, B6, B12, Folic Acid, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin C; and the minerals Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Iron, Zinc, Manganese, Copper, Iodine, Sodium, Potassium, Selenium, Fluoride and Chromium, it is concluded that there are too many variable factors such as weight, age, and intake amount that make it nearly impossible to determine if the child is receiving the correct amount of these very important vitamins and minerals. Not receiving enough or receiving too much of these vitamins and minerals could result in health and developmental issues. (Journal of Nutrition; Vitamins 2182-2200, Minerals 2140-2181) On the other
Breastfeeding is the single most effective nutritional strategy for protecting infants against infections and diseases. Three mechanisms have been proposed by which human milk constituents protect the infant from infection. Two are based on the immunologic constituents of human milk and the third is its high nutrient value. (National Academy Press, 1992) In LDCs the health of many children are significantly impaired, sometimes permanently, by the lack of nutrition they received during the breastfeeding phase. Breastfeeding requires a mother to have a specific diet. In the industrialized countries of the
Women decide to breastfeed for the amazing benefits it leaves in the future for the baby. During the first six months it is crucial for a baby to get breastfed because it provides many necessary nutrients to promote an optimal infant weight gain. Breast milk produces antibodies that help resist harmful diseases and infections such as leukemia, lymphoma, pneumonia and eye and ear infections. There are two significant nutrients in breast milk which are not in store bought formula, protein and fats. Store bought formula do not contain the DHA and cholesterol that breast milk has which helps assist the infants cardiovascular and nervous system.
Breastmilk is the gold standard for infant nutrition. It provides unique proteins that protect from viruses and bacteria infections, E. Coli, and salmonella. The fats found in human breastmilk are necessary for brain, eye, and nervous system development. It also contains special carbohydrates that decrease unhealthy bacteria in the stomach, helping to fight off diarrhea. Breastmilk contains the vitamins and minerals that babies need for healthy growth and development. There are also several other components, only found in human breastmilk, that are living cells that help to fight infection and illness. Breastmilk completely meets a baby’s nutrition
Nutritionally, breastfeeding provides specific antibodies which help to prevent infant and childhood diseases. Diseases such as RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection) and Insulin-dependent Diabetes Mellitus are serious diseases in infants which can lead to death (Riordan 1997). Breastfeeding is a natural immunization for infants and mothers, decreasing risks such as pneumonia, SIDS, and childhood obesity in infants. Mothers decrease their risk for breast cancer, type 2 diabetes and weight gain (Stuebe 2009). Just as diseases can be immune from breast milk, breastmilk also aids in brain development. In “Breastfeeding benefits babies’ brains”, Stacey states, “babies who had
It is clear that breast milk is considered, by numerous medical and health organizations, to be the gold standard for feeding infants, especially those in the NICU. The benefits of breast milk in which it is shown to reduce rates of infection in infants and to improve their long term health versus the potential negative risks of using formula is real and proven. As health care professionals, we must always be up to date on all of the research being conducted which will provide the best help to our patients. The cost expenditures and process of this program are a little extreme. However, when one researches and takes into account the negative and harmful consequences of using infant formula, the use of human donor milk should always
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for an infant’s first six months of life and then continued breastfeeding until age two (WHO,2015). The benefits of breastfeeding are well established in literature as being favorable for both the infant and mother. Breastfeeding has a range of advantages including nutritional, immunological and psychological benefits for the baby. Breast milk is a complex, living nutritional fluid containing antibodies, enzymes, long-chain fatty acids and hormones, many of which cannot be replicated in formula (Battersby, 2016). The drawbacks of breastfeeding are practically nonexistence, yet the breastfeeding rates continue to be well below the goals as established by Healthy People. The
Breast milk is the best source of nutrition for infants and helps to boost their immune system.
Since the invention of formula mothers have had trouble deciding how best to go about feeding their children. Each mother has their own preferred feeding technique, some of whom chose to use both feeding methods depending on the situation. For some mothers breastfeeding is not a viable option for reasons such as lactation issues, busy schedules, and secondary caregivers (Health Psychology). For those mothers whom are able and willing to breastfeed their infants there is a definite benefit. Breastfeeding is shown to benefit the mother and child through its natural ability to aide in the mother’s inner peace, its health giving properties, its superior nutrient content compared to formula, and accessibility.
Breast milk has higher nutrient density in the most natural way, it gives the infant a boost in immune system directly from its mother. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics it briefly summarized the findings and stated that is with strong recommendation it is optimal for baby and mother. The Infant Nutrition Council went further on to state the breastmilk provided for mother is superior to any other source of nutrition for babies. Olivia Ballard explained that the composition of human milk is the perfect “lock-and-key” for infant nutrition. Breastmilk according to the SMA Nutrition video shows how protein in the breastmilk is the most important to a baby’s growth. Overall, breast milk is superior to the popular infant formula when
Traditionally, complementary foods in the form of liquids and semisolids are fed to children and later replaced by foods eaten by older family members. Most of the time these types of foods can be filling and yet not meet children’s nutrient needs. Nutritional status in children is most vulnerable during the weaning stages when both macro and micronutrients may be insufficient to maintain growth and development (Annan and Plahar, 1995). Adoption of recommended breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices and access to the appropriate quality and quantity of foods are essential components of optimal nutrition for infants and young children (Lutter and Rivera, 2003). Complementary feeding period is the time when malnutrition starts in many
Breast milk is universally known to be the most important source of food for infants, high in nutrients and vitamins that are essential for optimal growth and development (Wagner, 2013, Inch, 2014). Breast milk is important for both maternal and infant heath (Kuguoglu, Yildiz, Tapir & Demirbag, 2012). It is needed for consumption as it contains antioxidants and immunoglobulins which protect the infant from diseases and infections which is extremely vital for the first few years of the infant’s life (Alimoradi, Javadi, Barikani, Kalantari & Ahmadi, 2014). The purpose of the essay is to firstly explore some of the factors that may impair the establishment of breastfeeding, such as having a caesarean birth, minimum skin to skin contact and a
Breast milk is seen to be one of the most ideal forms of nutrition for infants. Organizations from across the world recommend universal breastfeeding as a way to ensure a healthy and stable development for a newborn. The American Academy of Pediatrics (APP), specifically, encourages a mother to exclusively breastfeed the infant for the first 6 months of life. In addition, the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests to continue making breast milk a main component in the child’s diet for their first year of life. However, complications occur and some individuals may not have the means to provide breast milk to an infant. In these specific situations, a mother or caregiver can obtain breast milk from milk banks or use a commercial formula.
Infant feeding practices have been regarded as crucial in the development of a child’s overall wellness. In 2008, authors Nina M. Philipsen Hetzner, Rachel A. Razza, Lizabeth M. Malone, and Jeanne Brooks-Gunn published the article, Associations Among Feeding Behaviors During Infancy and Child Illness at Two Years, in the journal Maternal and Child Health Journal, where they explore the correlation between breastfeeding, early introduction to solid food, and the possible effects it may have on the development of infant illness. Similarly, in the article Early Childhood Healthy and Obese Weight Status: Potentially Protective Benefits of Breastfeeding and Delaying Solid Foods, published in 2013 in the Maternal and Child Health Journal, authors Brian G. Moss and William H. Yeaton aim to understand the benefits of breastfeeding, while examining the importance of delaying solid foods in a developing infant as this may affect a child’s weight status, which may implicate secondary effects such as physiological and psychological health problems later on in its development. Both studies aim to understand how the introduction of solid food’s early on in a developing child prior to six months of age, may have negative effects on their development, as opposed to those effects that a child may have when being exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life.
“Breast milk is the perfect nutrition for infants, a result of millions of years of evolution, finely attuning it to the requirements of the infant. Breast milk contains many complex proteins, lipids and carbohydrates, the concentrations of which alter dramatically over a single feed, as well as over lactation, to reflect the infant’s needs.