Why Breastfeeding & New Discoveries
A lot has
been written about breastfeeding in recent years, and if you are the parent of
an infant or small child, you have undoubtedly read at least a little on the
subject already. You may, in fact, have read so much that you wonder what more
could possibly be said on the subject that would be news to you. A great deal,
surprisingly. Although medical literature is full of reports of studies
concerning breast milk and breastfeeding, very little of the information is
actually available to the general reading public. In this article, I will share
some of the scientific findings concerning breastfeeding and the mother-child
relationship during this special time.
But
First...
Before
the breasts of a new mother produce milk, they release a thick, yellow
substance called colostrum, which has immune properties. Colostrom is actually
higher in protein, minerals, vitamin A, and nitrogen than milk is. Colostrum
coats the baby's stomach and intestines to help ward off harmful diseases such
as polio and pneumonia, and helps the baby pass meconium - a tarry substance
that accumulates in the intestines. Also, cells in colostrum called macrophages
destroy potentially dangerous bacteria.
The Main
Course
When
breast milk begins to flow (approximately two to three days after delivery),
it, too, provides important vitamins and minerals for your baby, including the
brain-cell builder taurine. While taurine is not an essential amino acid, its
high concentration in breast milk does seem to indicate a need that cannot be
met by the child's own body. But how much taurine is in formula or cow's milk?
None! Yet extremely high levels of this "smart" substance are found
in the brains of children, indicating that it is an important aid to brain growth.
Ninety-six per cent of brain growth occurs by the age of five years. The
average age at which a child weans in cultures that practice infant-led weaning
is - you guessed it - five years.
Two
commonly told stories about breast milk are that (1) it has very little iron
and (2) it lacks vitamin D. But the fact is that breast milk does contain
sufficient amounts of both nutrients, providing the mother has them to
give (she should follow a balanced diet and boost her daily caloric intake to
about 3,500). True, cow's milk and formula might contain more iron, but it is
in a form that is poorly absorbed by infants. Babies fed these substitutes get
anemic around six months of age if they don't receive supplemental iron. This
is not true of breastfed infants. For example, a group of babies in
Japan were totally breastfed for two years without any difficulties.
In the
case of vitamin D, researchers spent a lot of time and money fruitlessly
looking for that essential nutrient in the fatty portion of breast milk. But
where was it? In the watery part the researchers had been discarding! Now
scientists realize that there is no reason to give a nursing child vitamin D
supplements ... even if Mom is an Eskimo and doesn't see the sun for six months!
Disease
Prevention
Disease
resistance is another benefit of breast milk, which contains 37 known immune
mechanisms. These are present the entire time a mother breastfeeds her child,
and can be divided into the following categories: protective bacteria, enzyme
"attackers," protein binders, antiviral agents, and antibody
"defenders." It is the job of these "fierce" mechanism
groups to find and destroy any viruses or bacteria that may harm the baby,
while also making sure he or she gets enough protein and nutrients. However, as
soon as the baby is exposed to solid foods - even one bottle of sugar water - 17
of these immune mechanisms are destroyed (by the E. coli bacteria that are
introduced) and can never be restored.
Overall,
studies have shown that bottle-fed babies are sick more often than breast-fed
babies. A research study in India (where breastfeeding is more the norm than
the exception) indicated that of 3,684 babies observed, 7 out of the 2,031
breastfed children got pneumonia, whereas 48 out of the 1,653 who were
bottle-fed got the disease.
If you
become sick with a "bug" while nursing, don't fret about spreading
the sickness to your child. Amazingly enough, white blood cells appear in the
breast milk on the fourth day after the mother is exposed to the illness -
cells her body has created specifically to eat that bacterium or virus!
Thus your milk will give your child a specific antidote for the illness
you are worried about. (This sickness-healing sequence obviously works better
if the mother gets sick first. Fortunately, most times, mothers are
"considerate enough" to do so.)
Drug
Usage While Nursing
In
general, it is best to avoid drugs (including the "social" ones)
while nursing. Even aspirin must be taken with caution, since approximately
one-twelfth of an adult dosage is equivalent to a full dosage for a ten-pound
baby. To find out if a particular medicine is safe, please consult your local
La Leche League leader. Remember that drugs secreted through the placenta are
not necessarily secreted through the breast, since the placenta and the breast
are different kinds of transfer organs.
Advantages
For Mom
Breastfeeding
benefits the mother by stimulating the release of the hormone prolactin, which
has been found to induce maternal behavior in laboratory animals. Another
"nursing hormone", oxytocin, helps to squeeze the milk into the ducts
that lead to the nipple; it also helps to relax the mother. The baby's sucking
also helps the mother's uterus contract to normal size, lowering the amount of
blood loss.
Of
course, the increased opportunity for parent-child bonding offered by
breastfeeding is a widely known benefit of nursing, which brings up an
interesting sidelight. A baby can have lots of brain cells, but they won't do
any good unless they're interconnected. The nerve fibers that connect these
cells are called dendrites. And what develops dendrites? You probably said
breast milk ... right? Wrong! Touching develops dendrites. Holding,
touching, and stroking a baby, as a mother naturally does while nursing
("you can prop a bottle but not a breast"), helps the child develop
the way nature intended, both physically and emotionally.
When to
Start Foods
If this
thin, watery stuff called milk is so good, when do you need to start feeding
your baby "real" food? This is a difficult question to answer. Recent
studies have shown that hydrochloric acid - used to digest most protein -
doesn't even appear in the stomach until the end of the seventh month and
doesn't reach a peak until the eighteenth month. Coincidentally, 18 months is
approximately when rennin - used to digest the protein in breast milk - has
disappeared. Also, it seems that ptyalin, the digestive juice for
carbohydrates, doesn't appear until the end of the baby's first year. (The
earliest books on baby care always recommended that mothers pre-chew any solid
food.)
You may
say that your baby was so hungry that he or she was fighting for solid
food at five months, but actually this probably isn't what was happening. The
fact of the matter is that in your house you have this strange custom. Each day
without fail you gather the clan around a square board and all of you stuff
strange-looking things in your faces. The baby probably just wanted to be part
of the clan ritual. Remember - babies tend to mimic the behavior of those
around them.
I leave
to you the decision of when to start foods, but let me offer two pieces of
advice. First, don't force food on your baby. He or she will let you know
when breast milk isn't completely satisfactory by showing an increased interest
in nursing sessions (which you will soon discover is not due to a growth
spurt). Second, instead of feeding your child, just let the youngster feed him
or herself, from food you place on the high chair tray. (As the father of
eleven children, I know this can be quite a messy experience!)
This way,
not only will your child be less likely to overeat, but the little one will
also tend not to eat foods he or she may be allergic to. By the way, honey,
nuts, heavily sweetened foods, and spicy or salty foods are definitely not
recommended for babies.
When to
Wean
As soon
as the baby is introduced to anything other than breast milk, the weaning
process has begun. It is best to do this slowly, and, as with solid foods, let
the baby tell you when he or she is ready, and allow him/her to set the pace.
Contrary to popular belief, a child who is weaned at a late age is not any more
dependent than a child weaned earlier. In fact, the late nurser may be more independent
because the choice to break away from Mom was his or her own. So, don't let
yourself be influenced by the behaviour or reactions of other mothers - this is
a decision between you and your child.
Breast
milk is "species-specific". It has everything in it that the baby
needs, in just the right amounts. It fulfils both physical and emotional needs.
It is not habit-forming, and all children wean themselves when they have had
enough. Try it. You, and yours, will like it.
Put
Nursing Fears to Rest
Does the
thought of nursing give you butterflies? If so, here are some helpful hints.
The first
two or three weeks of breastfeeding can be very difficult for a new mother, but
take a deep breath ... and relax! It is very important to get plenty of rest
during the nursing period, as this will stimulate the let-down reflex - the
squeezing of milk from the alveoli. Fear, anxiety, confusion, or fatigue can
hamper this reaction, so find a comfortable, tension-free place to nurse.
Two
common misbeliefs are that (1) small-breasted women cannot produce enough milk
and that (2) if you do not have enough milk when you begin nursing, you will
never satisfy your baby's great need for nourishment. Neither of these beliefs
are true! In all pregnant women a physical change occurs in the milk ducts that
enlarges the breasts. In addition, the more your baby nurses, the more milk
your breasts produce. And a new baby nurses approximately every 1-1½ hours at
first.
It may
take almost a week for you and your baby to nurse successfully - but don't give
up!
