Importance of breastfeeding
Chapter 2 Social Pharmacy Notes 2.1 Demography and Family Planning, 2.2 Mother and child health, 2.3 Importance of breastfeeding, 2.4 Ill effects of infant milk substitutes and bottle feeding 2.5 Overview of Vaccines, 2.6 Types of immunity 2.7 Immunization 2.8 Effect of Environment on Health 2.8.1 Water pollution 2.8.1.2 Importance of safe drinking water, waterborne diseases 2.8.2 Air pollution 2.8.3 Noise pollution 2.8.4 Sewage and solid waste disposal 2.8.5 Occupational illnesses 2.8.6 Environmental pollution due to pharmaceuticals 2.8.7 Psychosocial Pharmacy: Drugs of misuse and abuse – psychotropics, narcotics, alcohol, tobacco products.
Breastfeeding is the activity by which, nourishing the newborn baby with milk from the breast and completing their nutritional demands stands for proper growth and development up to a certain period. Breast milk contains water, proteins, carbohydrates, antibodies, fats, hormones, vitamins, minerals and other immune cells etc.
During the pregnancy, female mammary glands undergo differentiation and start producing milk towards the end of pregnancy by the process called lactation.
The milk produced during the initial few days of lactation is called colostrums which contains several antibodies absolutely essential to develop resistance for newborn babies.
Breastfeeding during the initial period of infant growth is recommended by doctors for bringing up a healthy baby.
Benefit for Child
Milk is the essential nutrient for the growing baby. It helps in many ways like…
- Improve resistance power—Mother milk contains the many antibodies, which are responsible for the protection of child against the disease. IgA is the major immunoglobulin in human colostrums and milk. Resistance provide by milk against disease like…..
- Asthma, respiratory disease, obesity, diabetes, ear infections, gastro- intestinal infections, cancer and any syndrome etc.
- Fulfill nutrients supply—Milk are the best food supplement for the growing baby because it contains the essential supplement (vitamins, minerals, proteins, amino acids, fat or lipids etc) in required and abundant amount.
- Proper growth and development—Due to involvement of supplement, it helps in proper growth and development and of body parts (bone, muscle, liver, brain, heart etc.) and also provided the strength to body parts.
Benefits for Mother
Breastfeeding is simply not responsible for a baby growth apart from this, it is also responsible for maternal health. In mother keep it safe from many conditions.
Diabetes, ovarian cancer, regulated cholesterol level, breast cancer, high blood pressure etc.
Every facility providing maternity services and care for newborn infants should:
1. Have a written breastfeeding policy that is routinely communicated to all health care staff.
2. Train all health care staff in the skills necessary to implement this policy.
3. Inform all pregnant women about the benefits and management of breastfeeding.
4. Help mothers initiate breastfeeding within a half-hour of birth.
5. Show mothers how to breastfeed, and how to maintain lactation even if they should be separated from their infants.
6. Give newborn infants no food or drink other than breastmilk, unless medically indicated.
7. Practice rooming-in — allow mothers and infants to remain together — 24 hours a day.
8. Encourage breastfeeding on demand.
9. Give no artificial teats or pacifiers (also called dummies or soothers) to breastfeeding infants.
10. Foster the establishment of breastfeeding support groups and refer mothers to them on discharge from the hospital or clinic.
Reference: WHO report on Evidence for the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding
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