World breastfeeding week

Source: https://medblog.su/novosti-meditsiny/vsemirnaya-nedelya-grudnogo-vskarmlivaniya.html

World Breastfeeding Week is traditionally held from 1 to 7 August since 1990 in more than 170 countries around the world at the initiative of the World Health Organization. Its direct goal is to educate women about the importance and benefits of breastfeeding for the health of the baby.

From time immemorial, breastfeeding of a newborn baby was common among all peoples at all times, this ensured their health, survival and survival. However, with the high development of technologies for the production of artificial mixtures, their widespread advertising, and with minimal information about the benefits of natural feeding for the child and mother, it became necessary to prepare the body of a pregnant woman for lactation and its further preservation. Sayfulina Maryam, a pediatrician at the clinic of MEDICINA JSC, spoke about the importance of breastfeeding.

Breast milk, designed by nature to satisfy babies in nutrition. It is the only reliable food source. Mother's milk has a unique individual composition - all the ingredients are closest to the composition of the baby's tissues. With mother's milk, the child receives a balanced composition of proteins, fats and carbohydrates; enzymes that contribute to the most complete and easy assimilation; vitamins and minerals that he needs, as well as immunoglobulins, lysozyme, lactoferrin, live leukocytes and lymphocytes, bifidus factor and other substances of high biological complexity that perform protective and immunomodulatory functions. It not only provides unique protection against infections, but also stimulates the development of the child's own immune system.

The emotional aspect of breastfeeding plays an important role. The special closeness that is established between mother and baby during feeding lasts for life, i.e. the foundation for further normal mental development is laid and has a huge positive effect on the woman's body. It was not for nothing that the mother carried him for 9 months, because the child was accustomed to the rhythm of the mother's heartbeat during the prenatal period and feels more protected snuggling to the mother while breastfeeding.

Placing the baby on the mother's breast in the first hours after birth stimulates the secretion of the hormone oxytocin, which in turn stimulates uterine contraction, and thereby prevents postpartum bleeding. It is noted that women who are breastfeeding are much less likely to develop malignant neoplasms of the mammary glands and ovarian cancer.

The question often arises: "Breastfeeding is a natural process! Why do you need to help a woman in this?" Of course, some mothers feed their babies without any difficulty. But many women, at the very beginning, need help, many need it to maintain lactation for the entire period necessary for the baby. Especially if this is the firstborn and they are very young.

The benefits of breastfeeding.

Breast milk contains all the nutrients a baby needs, which are quickly and easily absorbed. It includes:

the most balanced and suitable amount of proteins, lactose and fats, amino acids for the child;

a sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals that he needs (including vitamin K, which prevents the risk of bleeding in newborns);

a small amount of iron, which is very well absorbed in the intestines of the child and completely prevents the development of iron deficiency anemia;

special enzyme lipase, which breaks down fats;

enzymes, hormones, growth factors that are able to control metabolism and activate the maturation of the newborn's own cells;

Sufficient water supply, even in hot, dry climates.

Breast milk is not only sterile in itself, but also provides the baby with unique protection against infections, allergies, and also stimulates the development of his own immune system. It contains:

live leukocytes, lymphocytes and macrophages, as well as lysozyme with a bactericidal effect;

immunoglobulins that protect the child from infections and correct the inferiority of his immunity;

bifidus factor, which stimulates the growth of Lactobacillius bifidus in the intestine of the child, as well as counteracts the colonization of the intestine by pathogenic flora;

lactoferrin, which binds iron, and can also prevent the growth of a number of bacteria utilizing iron;

factors circulating between the bronchi and the mammary gland, performing immunological functions and stimulating the production of antibodies against an infection that enters the child's body from the outside.

Modern technologies for the production of breast milk substitutes, i.e. artificial mixtures are constantly being improved, with the main goal - the maximum approximation (affinity) with a woman's breast milk. It is impossible to achieve this completely, because human milk is unique in its properties, in a sense it is the same "living flesh". However, advertising ("the engine of trade") and companies that produce baby food take advantage of this in every way. On their posters, cans with food, a rosy-cheeked smiling baby flaunts. And all the problems that arise in children who are bottle-fed remain behind the scenes.

What are these problems?

Artificial formulas do not contain protective factors, which are present in large quantities and variety in human milk. Children who are on artificial feeding get sick much more often. Almost all children receiving milk formulas suffer from dysbiosis, for a long period they are worried about dyspeptic disorders: persistent constipation and diarrhea, which are difficult to treat.

Infant formula contains a sufficient amount of vitamins, but only a small part of them is absorbed by the body of a newborn child, the gastrointestinal tract, which is only populated by flora. Children receiving formula milk are susceptible to hypovitaminosis. Also, when diluting mixtures, non-compliance with sanitary rules can lead to an infectious agent entering the bottle (and milk mixtures are an excellent breeding ground), which can lead to infection of the child with pathogenic microorganisms.

Children who receive artificial mixtures from an early age more often suffer from exudative (allergic) diathesis at an early age, and later are more susceptible to severe allergic diseases (bronchial asthma, etc.).

Often it seems to young mothers that the child is not eating enough. To reassure the mother, the doctor may invite her to the clinic and conduct control feeding (if a scale is available, this can be done at home). If the baby is malnourished, this is not an indication for immediate supplementation. It is necessary to understand the reasons for which the child is malnourished. There are "lazy babies" who get tired very quickly and refuse to breastfeed, although the mother has enough milk. Such children should be fed with expressed breast milk from a spoon.

One of the reasons leading to a decrease in the amount of milk is hypogalactic crises. They can be repeated with an interval of 28-30 days, and also manifest themselves in a decrease in milk secretion over several days. The doctor must explain to the mother that these crises are physiological in nature and are caused by the cyclic hormonal activity of the female body. On these days, it is necessary to apply the baby to the breast more often - after 3-4 days the amount of milk will return to its previous volume.

The doctor needs to establish a trusting relationship with the family where the newborn baby was born. It is necessary to talk not only with the mother, but also with other family members, explaining to them all the benefits of breastfeeding, so that they become allies of the mother and provide her with the necessary support.