FEEDING only mother’s milk for first 6 months boosts child’s health

Ludhiana, July 31, 2013: Mother’s milk is nature’s gift to infants, full of benefits that extend well beyond nutrition. Someone has rightly called breastfeeding nature’s health plan, a gift whose effects last a lifetime. Not only does mother’s milk contain a unique combination of nutrients and vitamins essential for a child’s optimum physical and mental growth, it is also loaded with antibodies and probiotics that offer protection from several illnesses.

According to the Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) guidelines published by UNICEF, infants should be fed nothing but mother’s milk – not even water, sugar water, or juices – for the first six months of life to achieve maximum growth and development. Thereafter, to meet their evolving nutritional needs, they should receive safe and adequate complementary foods while breastfeeding continues for up to two years of age or beyond.

Talking about the importance of breastfeeding, Dr. Daljit Singh, Professor of Pediatrics, Dayanand Medical College & Hospital, Ludhiana, says: “Mother’s milk is the best for a baby. It reduces the incidence of allergies, provides greater immunity against infections such as gastroenteritis, always remains at the correct and constant temperature, and is nutritionally well-balanced. Mother’s milk is digested easily in two to three hours and the stool of a breastfeeding child is never constipated. It is estimated that breastfeeding can save the lives of 250,000 children in India every year.”

Experts say many of the health problems grown-up children face, such as diarrhea, ear infections (a major reason for infants taking antibiotics), allergies and respiratory infections, might be reduced or even prevented if they are exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life.

UNICEF guidelines recommend that breastfeeding be initiated within the first hour of birth. Colostrum, also called first milk, occurs during pregnancy and lasts for three or four days after birth. Yellowish and thick, it is considered a high-octane diet for the child, rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals. An important role of colostrum is to pass on antibodies from mother to baby to provide passive immunity. This is crucial as the child’s immune system is still undeveloped and vulnerable to bacterial and viral infections. Colostrum also has a laxative effect that helps the child pass first stools and clear the intestines.

Mother’s milk is 90% water and fulfills the infant’s need for hydration. The rest 10% contains carbohydrates (lactose), proteins, and fats. Amazingly, as the infant grows, its composition keeps changing over the months to maintain the perfect balance of nutrients the child needs. It is also totally safe against infections, is non-allergic, always remains at the right temperature, needs no prior preparation or storage, is easy to digest and readily available with the mother even when she travels outside home with the child.

Many studies have shown that mother’s milk strengthens the immune system, and breastfed children suffer from fewer infections than those fed other diet. It also offers protection from allergies such as atopic dermatitis, asthma and eczema. This is important for health because the immune response of children does not reach its full strength till they are about five years of age. In addition, infants who are breastfed longer have fewer dental cavities, research has shown.

A child’s eyesight and brain develop rapidly over the first year of life. Mother’s milk contains two very crucial nutrients – omega-3 fatty acid DHA, and omega-6 fatty acid ARA. Both these are considered major building blocks for the development of brain and eye tissue.

Mother’s milk nourishes the rapidly developing brain, resulting in better cognitive outcomes and higher intellectual and motor skills compared to babies not being breastfed. A recent study has shown that it leads to extra growth in parts of the brain associated with language, emotional function, and cognition. DHA, found in high concentration in mother’ milk, enhances the vision of developing children. Breastfed children are significantly more likely to score higher on tests of stereo-acuity (depth perception) than others, research shows.

Breastfeeding has tremendous psychological benefits too for both mother and child. It helps form a strong emotional bond between them due to the release of oxytocin — the “love hormone.” The bond so forged continues to play an important role in the baby’s development over the years. Due to the physical closeness and a sense of reassurance and safety fostered by nursing, children brought up on mother’s milk are more mature and assertive as they develop compared to others. Breastfeeding also releases certain hormones in the mother’s body that promote mothering behavior and make her fiercely protective towards the child.

Experts consider breastfeeding as a natural, least expensive and most effective way to promote the health and well-being of a child. Because of its enormous nutritional and emotional benefits, no other food even comes close to ensuring the all-rounded development of children in their early years. Mother’s milk always has been, and always will be, the best nutrition for infants.

BLURB-

•         Infants should to be fed only mother’s milk for first six months

•         Mother’s milk strengthens the immune system

•         It helps protect the child from several infections and allergies

•         It offers the perfect balance of nutrients

•         It is extremely important for brain development

•         It is the most effective and inexpensive method to keep the child healthy