Breastfeeding

What according to you provides your newborn with appropriate and good nutrition? Cerlac you say? Well, that would be a big No! Let's walk you down the road that would give you a fair idea as to what is the best and ideal nutrition for a newborn.

According to the “Convention on the Rights of the Child”, every child and infant has the right to good nutrition. The good nutrition that is being stated here should direct every new parent towards providing a healthy diet to their newborn which would ideally be breastfeeding for the first few months and later a combination of breastfeeding and other foods (Complementary feeding should not include any breastmilk substitutes).

While some mothers adopt exclusive breastfeeding for their child, there are mothers who either choose to or are forced to mix feed or use breastmilk substitutes. 

Opting for mixed feeding or only substitutes could lead to - 

• Malnourishment 
• Obesity

It can also make them prone to many non-communicable diseases from a very young age. 

Whereas, the first few years of breastfeeding along with complementary feeding, lowers the risks of morbidity and mortality among children. Breastfeeding alone could prove to be extremely beneficial to both the mother's and child’s health.

Optimal breastfeeding is so beneficial that it could save over 8 lac children under the age of 5 years every year. Although there is no right or wrong time to begin breastfeeding your child, early initiation is extremely important. UNICEF and WHO suggest introducing the child to breast milk within an hour of birth (or as soon as possible after birth) because the baby’s reflexes to suckle are very strong during the first hour of birth. 

This will protect the newborn from picking up an infection and reduce the newborn mortality rate. It is observed mortality rates increase because of diarrhoea and other infections in infants who are partially breastfed (mixed feeding) or not breastfed at all.  

Exclusive breastfeeding for a period of 6 months is extremely crucial for both mother and child. It provides optimal nutrition to the child. The child should be continuously breastfed as long as mutually desired by both mother and child. WHO recommends breastfeeding throughout the second year of life.

Breastfeeding sure is difficult to commence but it also comes with quite a few advantages for both mother and child - 

• The best source of nutrition:
  Along with the baby's growth, breast milk will change to meet its nutritional needs. It is full of macro and micronutrients that a regular diet provides an individual with.

• Protection against short and long-term diseases:
  Breastfed babies have a curtailed risk of having asthma, obesity, type 1 diabetes,  ear infections, stomach bugs, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). 

• Sharing antibodies:
  Antibodies are shared through breast milk from the mother to the child, which helps in protecting the child from infections and diseases.

• Mothers can breastfeed anytime, anywhere:
  Mothers can feed without having to worry about mixing the formula, even on the go. 

• Advantages for the mother:
  The following non-communicable diseases are less common in mothers who breastfeed;

• Ovarian and breast cancer.
• Type 2 diabetes.
• Fluctuating blood pressure.

Recently, the term weaning off has been replaced by complementary feeding because as the child grows, his/her nutritional needs are not met by only breast milk and s/he would need other foods like family foods to meet the nutritional requirement. Refusing the child to breastfeed could bring the limelight to the activity even more. Slowly tapering off the child, with one meal at a time could be beneficial as it will gradually decrease the amount of breastmilk. It could take a week or even a month or two for the child to wean off. 

Below mentioned are a few points that should be looked for when breastfeeding. 

• Only a teaspoon or two of fluid at a time could be held by a newborn’s stomach. 
• Breastfeeding is a learned skill for both mother and child.
• Skin-to-skin contact in the first hour, breastfeeding exclusivity, and duration, and helps to regulate the temperature, blood sugar, and blood pressure of the infant. 
• 87% of breastmilk is water therefore, babies do not need additional water. 
• To avoid dehydration, in extreme heat or hot weather, the frequency to breastfeed may increase. 
• An infant might need to be fed about 8-12 times a day which is trivial in every infant.
• Nothing else should be given (not even water), except for any prescribed medicines, for the first 6 months. 
• A mother should be encouraged and supported to breastfeed whether it is for 2 weeks or 2 years.

Breastfeeding can help the mother’s body to get back in shape (the way it was before pregnancy), and bonding between mother and child. It not only aids in the child's cognitive development but also his/her IQ is 13 points better than a partially or non-breastfed baby. Feeding the child through the night will contribute to milk production. To know more, read the breastfeeding series. 

1. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/infant-and-young-child-feeding 
2. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/infant-and-toddler-health/in-depth/weaning/art-20048440#:~:text=What's%20the%20best%20way%20to,midday%20breast%2Dfeeding%20session%20first
3. https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpao/features/breastfeeding-benefits/index.html#:~:text=Breastfeeding%20can%20help%20protect%20babies,ear%20infections%20and%20stomach%20bugs