A Little Bit of Breast-feeding is Better than No Breast-feeding at All
by Gitte Wengler, MD
Your baby's nutritional needs during the rapid-growth spurt during in his/her first year are greater than any other time of his life. He will approximately triple his birth weight during his first year.
Before your baby arrives, you should decide whether to nurse or feed him infant formula. I am a breast-feeding advocate for the following reasons:
1) Breast milk is custom made for your baby. Its major ingredients are sugar (lactose), easily digested protein (whey and casein), and fat, all properly balanced to suit your baby.
2) Breast milk is low in cost. You do have to maintain a well-balanced diet yourself and increase your own calorie intake, but it is still cheaper than buying formula.
3) Breast milk is instantly available -- it does not have to be warmed or mixed.
4) Breast-feeding uses up to 500 calories a day and it helps the uterus tighten up and return to its normal size much more quickly! This makes it much easier for mothers to get back into shape physically after birth.
5) Nursing mothers have stated that there is a strong psychological and emotional bond that develops when they breast-feed--it gives them more confidence about their own abilities to nurture and care for their child.
6) Mothers' breast milk carries a protective effect (antibodies) to fight off infection.
a) Dr. Jay Perman at Johns Hopkins Children's Center discusses data that shows lower rates of respiratory disease (lungs and nose) as well as gastrointestinal diseases (stomach/intestine) in breast-fed babies.
This protective effect of breast-feeding was shown to persist for one year, even when the breast-feeding was stopped after only 13 weeks.
7) Even a baby's intelligence is aided by breast-feeding.Another study by Dr. Perman examined 300 low-birth-weight infants and found the IQ to be about 8.3 points higher in breast-fed infants, compared with formula-fed children.
Of course, there are a few disadvantages to breast-feeding.
1) Breast-feeding can make other members of the family feel left out.
2) Mother is the only one who can feed the baby.
3) The baby may eat more frequently, since breast milk is so easy to digest.
Are there times when exclusive breast-feeding is not a good choice? Yes, but they are rare.
1) Infants with diseases such as cystic fibrosis or phenylketonuria (PKU) need to have their feedings supplemented or moderated.
2) If a mother is extremely ill, she may not have the energy to breast-feed without interfering with her own recovery.
3) If a mother is taking certain medications. For example, if mother takes Tetracycline and she is pregnant or breast-feeding, it may cause tooth staining or decreased bone growth in her child.
Always inform your doctor that you are breast-feeding and ask if it is okay to continue to do so on the medication that he prescribes for you.
Mothers who are unable or unsuccessful in breast-feeding should not be made to feel guilty. The purpose of this article is only to inform potential new parents of the breast-feeding advantages that they may not already be aware of.
Information from Caring for Your Baby and Young Child by Steve Shelov, M.D.
et al and article by Sally Kusetin in Pediatric News (Vol. 29, No. 5)
Dr. Wengler is a Waimanalo Health Center Pediatrician