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Adequate nutrition in the first years of a child’s life, i.e. in the first 1000 days, contributes to the proper growth and development of the young organism as well as the proper nutritional status of the infant. It also has an impact on the quality of life in the future. Breastfeeding is of key importance at this time. What to do if mom can’t just feed her own food? How then to take care of the child’s welfare?
Window of opportunity – the first 1000 days
The most important period for human development is the time in the mother’s womb and the first years after birth. By convention, it was defined as the first 1000 days of a child’s life. An improperly composed diet of a pregnant mother or a toddler during this period may lead to negative consequences for the child’s body in the future, such as a predisposition to obesity or hypertension. Proper nutrition of a child in the first years of life is a kind of health capital for life, and its foundation is, among others, breast-feeding. This is why the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding of mum’s milk for the first six months of life, and then continuing this diet (while extending the diet) up to the age of 2 or more.
… exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of a child’s life is recommended by all major health and development institutions? A woman’s food is ideally suited to the needs of a young organism – it contains almost all the necessary nutrients in the right amounts and proportions – except for vitamins D and K, therefore their proper supplementation is recommended.
Under what circumstances is exclusive breastfeeding not possible?
Mother’s milk is the best food for an infant, but in some justified situations exclusive breastfeeding is not possible. Most often, these limitations result from the health of the mother or the toddler. Breastfeeding is not recommended for a woman if she has:
- herpes of the nipple,
- human T-cell leukemia virus infection,
- tuberculosis during the mycobacterial period (after consulting a doctor, breastfeeding is possible after 2 weeks of treatment) 2.
Some substances contained in medications taken by the woman may also be dangerous for the baby. However, there are diseases that do not have to exclude breastfeeding – breastfeeding breastfeeding is then possible, but only under the supervision of a doctor.
Mixed feeding – a compromise for the good of the baby
In the case of health problems (mother or baby) or related to lactation, the solution may be to introduce a different method of feeding the baby, i.e. mixed feeding. It consists in giving the baby breast milk and modified milk. It is a method thanks to which a woman does not have to give up breastfeeding. The decision to change the child’s nutrition and any doubts regarding breastfeeding should always be consulted with a doctor or lactation advisor. As it turns out, health problems, but also lactation difficulties (e.g. problems with starting and maintaining effective breastfeeding by an infant or insufficient amount of milk in the breast) mean that 40 percent of women in the early stage of a child’s life, they feed or feed their child with modified milk, and later this number increases up to 70%.
“Feeding with modified milk should be carried out in such a way that the mother’s milk – drunk directly from the breast or expressed – constitutes the largest possible part of the child’s needs. In order to maintain lactation, the scheme proposed by Nancy Mohrbacher, based on the observed weekly weight gain of the toddler, is quite safe in terms of feeding the baby with modified milk:
- when the weekly weight gain> 85-113 g, it is recommended to supplement with 2-3 portions of modified milk, 60 ml each,
- when the weekly weight gain <85 g, it is recommended to supplement with 4-5 portions of modified milk, 60 ml each.
The daily volume of feeding is best divided into several single portions, and if possible, there should be as few of them as possible. It all depends on how much the baby can eat at once. Feeding should be given after weaker breastfeeds. If the toddler is fed, seems full and is gaining weight well, you can keep the feeding at this level. With great difficulties related to breastfeeding, maintaining night and evening feeds also positively affects the health of the baby. Since prolactin (a hormone that stimulates lactation) is the highest at night, leaving overnight feeds makes it easier to maintain lactation. In case of any doubts, consultation with a lactation advisor will be invaluable support ”- suggests the drug. Julita Chądzyńska, pediatrician, expert at BebiProgram.pl.
Breastfeeding is the most appropriate and cheapest way of feeding babies. Mother’s milk contains all the nutrients necessary for the proper development of the baby and protects it against diseases and infections. Breastfeeding gives the best results when the mother is properly nourished during pregnancy and lactation, and when there is no unjustified feeding of the baby. Before deciding to change the feeding method, the mother should consult her doctor.
Also check:
- Is it harmful to drink coffee when pregnant?
- We have milk in the eye of a pediatrician
- How to calculate fertile and infertile days?
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