Tuesday, May 15, 2012

How important is mother’s milk for baby



Getting Pregnant and being mother can be exhilarating and daunting. This happens not just for the first time but for any time when you hear aabout pregnancy for second time also. Doctor say two simple interventions such as exclusive breastfeeding and maximum skin to skin contact have been found to pass dramatic health benefits from a mother to her newborn baby.Breast milk is highly rich with nutrition, vitamins, and minerals and it carries antibiotic from the mother to help the baby combat life threatening diseases. DHA are key fatty acids needed for the growth of the human brain. Human milk contains 30 times more DHA than cow’s milk. Mother’s milk is rich in choline, taurine and zinc, which are highly beneficial for brain growth. Mother’s milk contains almost double the quantity of lactose compared with milk of other mammals.

Health ministry recommends exclusive breast feeding for the first six months of life. It says breastfeeding should begin with an hour of birth and should be on demand, as often as the child wants day and night. Pediatrician says breast milk is tailor-made for the human baby. Mother’s milk protects against infections and better brain nutrition. Exclusive breast feeding in first six months also protects from development of certain allergies.

In the upper socio-economic class, we often see the failure to establish early breastfeeding. The mother to be has to be prepared to initiate breastfeeding during pregnancy. In fact the baby can be put to breast as soon as the placenta comes out. Meanwhile, skin to skin contact that is called has KMC (kangaroo mother care) works like magic for new born baby. Now a day’s skin to skin contact soon after birth is standard of care. Doctors say most mother prefer skin to skin contact to conventional care as it leads to stronger bonding with the baby, increase confidence and a deep satisfaction. There is multitude of studies that shows mother and baby should be together in The smart Parenting Guide.

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