Infant Feeding

Breast Feeding
• The main food of most infants is breast
milk in the form of nature‘s gift.
• It is produced to suit the baby‘s digestive
system
• It is free form contamination and is
available at right temperature without any
effort.
• The yellowish secretion from the breast in
the first few days after delivery is called
colostrum.
• Colostrum has a high protein and vitamin A
content and confers immunity to certain
infections during the first few months.
• Colostrum helps in the development and
production of enzymes required for
digestion.
 Physiology of Feeding
• Sucking:
while sucking baby pulls the nipple and part
of the breast into his mouth, he bits at the
breast with his jaws and squeezes the
nipple against the roof of the mouth.
Onset of Lactation
• The onset of production of milk starts about
the 3re day after delivery .
• When the milk secretion is profuse there may
be engorgement of breasts.
• It is very important to relieve the milk
pressure by expressing any milk that baby does
not take. if the breasts are allowed to remain full,
the secretion of milk will dry and chances of
infection will increase
Prevention of infection
- Primarily , it depends on the prevention of
engorgement and on the care of the
nipples.
- The nipples should be kept as dry and
clean as possible.
- Sore nipples should be gently massaged
with lanoline .
Feeding Rhythm
• In uterus, baby gets his food supply through
the placenta.
• After birth, the baby should suckle the breast
as soon as possible as this increases milk
secretion and helps the uterus to contact.
• During early month, he will require feeds 8
to10 times daily.
• Where as at the end of second month, he will
take 5 to 6 feeds and he will sleep soundly
 Advantage of breastfeeding
• Milk secreted by mothers about 450-750 ml
per day
• For first 3 to 4 months, breastfeeding meets
the requirement of child in full.
• Breast milk contains all the essential food
factors in the right form and in the
proportion to be digested by baby.
• Whether the lady is rich or poor, quality of
milk remains the same.
• The immunoglobulin A and lactoferrin
secreted in the milk protect the child from
undesirable bacterial attacks.
• Most valuable component present in breast
milk is Lysozyme, (a bacterial killing agent).
• It has three thousand fold more power
compared to its level in other types of milk.
• It prolongs the period of natural immunity
to viral diseases including mump, measles,
polio, etc
• Babies fed on breast milk are not likely to
develop constipation and certain common
infant allergies.
• Successful breastfeeding is satisfying
experience for mothers as well as for child.
• The infant gets a close and comfortable
physical relationship with his mother.
• Breastfeeding offers increased opportunity
for close sensual contact between mother
and infant.
• Proper emptying of breast reduces the chances
of mastitis and even cancer breast .
• Mother who have never fed their children have
higher rate of malignancy.
• Breastfeeding is found to have certain amount
of contraceptive effect. (this effect of breast
milk is related to the secretion of an hormone
called prolactin in response to baby‘s sucking.
• Prolactin prevents ovulation or postpones it
until tenth week after the childbirth.
Restriction to Breastfeeding
There are certain contraindications to
breastfeeding :-
- inverted nipples, fissures , arid cracks of
nipples (exposure to air and pure lanoline will
be useful)
- Septicemia , eclampsia, active tuberculosis ,
typhoid , sever neurosis and psychosis .
- Acute illness in the mother (if the infant
does not have the same infection).
- When the infant is not affected and the
mother condition permits ,the breast may
be emptied and the milk may be given to
the infant after sterilization.
 Under feeding
There are many sign for underfeeding:-
- Failure to gain weight
The baby should gain 30gm of weight daily.
- Crying
There are many other reasons also for crying
other than hunger.
- Constipation
Underfed babies may develop constipation
but all constipated babies are not underfed
If underfeeding is present ,it should be
corrected by increasing the supply of breast
milk or by complementary feeding .
increasing the supply of breast milk
1- by regular emptying of breast
2- treating the mother‘s general condition
(she must drink plenty of fluids and take
much of protein and calcium diet, and provide
at least 3,000 calories.
worry and unhappiness of mother are the
most effective means for degreasing or
abolishing breast milk.
Certain Important Points
• The infant should empty at least one breast
at each feeding.
• After 4 to 5 months, some soup and
semisolid food should be started to the
child as supplements.
• Mother should now that if the child is not
hungry he will not search for the nipple.
• Regurgitation and vomiting are frequent
signs for overfeeding .
 Bottle Feeding
Unfortunately , increasing trend towards
bottle feeding has resulted in increased
infant sickness and mortality due to :
1- ignorance of the basic rules of sanitation .
2- lack of sufficient sanitary preparations of
bottles and milk formula.
3- frequent inadequacy of nutrients in
formula milk.
Specially amongst poor class, there may be
even lack of water for cleaning , high
ambient temperature , lack of facilities for
making the formula and lack of refrigeration,
mothers of this class do not have proper
knowledge and instructions to prepare
formula milk.