Breast Feeding

Bottle Feeding

Malnutrition caused by poor child feeding practices claims over 10 times as many lives as actual famine,” says researcher William Chandler. Often, the ‘poor feeding practices’ begin in infancy.

Breast milk is the ideal food for most infantsbecause it contains all the needed nutrients. It contains antibodies that protect and help the baby to build up resistance toinfections. Breast-feeding also provides an infant with loving attention, essential to emotional development.

As women take on secular jobs, however, breast-feeding declines in many developing countries. Consequently, many African babies are fed powdered formulas. Queen, a Nigerian mother of seven, recalls that hospital nurses introduced her babies to bottle-feeding right from the start. Now Queen is breast-feeding our seventh child during its first few months.”

Feed Them Right!

Sometimes, though, African children are fed breast milk exclusively well into their 18th month of life. UNICEF’s office in Côte d’Ivoire produced a poster that advises mothers: “After five months, more than the breast.” A Nigerian mother named Ijeoma breast-fed each of her four children during their first four months. She continued breast-feeding for up to 12 months, gradually replacing it by spoon- or bottle-fed meals of fruit juices, pap, and other preparations. She observed strict hygiene in preparing meals. The result? Her children have grown up healthy and have had few infections.

Breast Feeding Myths Uncovered
By: Mikael Rieck

Breast milk provides exactly the right temperature and the correct nutrients whenever your baby wants it which is easy to digest.

Breast Feeding Activity

Colostrums or first milk which is high in protein is produced during pregnancy and in the first two to four days of life prior to the milk ‘coming in’. This is rich in antibodies to help protect your new baby from infections and build resistance. Colostrums also aid the smooth passage of meconium (sticky dark stool that has been in the bowels of your baby during pregnancy) through the bowels.

Breastfed babies suffer fewer infections in their first year. Their need for antibiotics is also reduced, which avoids any side-effects to their immatureimmune system. Infections include those to the eyes, ears, chest, urinary system, skin and gastrointestinal system etc.

Common myths of Breast feeding:

• Breastfeed ruins shape of Breast

Breastfeeding will not ruin the shape of your breasts in the future. Once you have finished feeding, they will return to approximately their pre-pregnant size. Inverted or flat nipples need not be a problem and many women breastfeed successfully with little or no help.

• Can not feed toddler while pregnant

You can continue to feed your toddler even if you are pregnant with another baby!

• Formula feed is better

Breast feed is best but women can switch to formula feed when lactating is problem or insufficient.

• Breastfeed leads to irregular periods

If you exclusively breastfeed, then your periods may not return to regular for up to a year. This is nature’s way of making the natural and therefore safer to keep gap longer between children. This benefits both mother and infant.

Read other article about Infant Feeding Time and All About Baby Teething only here at Infant Learning site.

Baby Feeding

Should you make homemade baby food? In nearly all healthy children, the recommended age to start solid foods is 4 to 6 months. Rice cereal is a customary and safe first food, but most babies can tolerate a variety of foods like rice cereal, vegetables, fruits and meat.

The first few weeks of eating solid foods is more about becoming accustomed to spoon-feeding than meeting nutritional needs. Your baby is learning to negotiate food. Older infants may try to feed themselves. It means messy meals, but letting your child feed himself encourages the development of his fine motor skills.

While some are persistently poor eaters, most babies eat what they need to be healthy. How do you know if you are feeding your baby enough? Toddlers tend to be unpredictable eaters. Growth spurts, painful teething, and toddler toilet training all contribute to their unpredictable food intake. Many times, toddlers are more interested in fine tuning large motor skills or learning a new word than with eating. Feeding your baby a healthy diet will no doubt promote healthy eating habits for life.

Diet for Infants
By: Bette Daoust

A healthy diet for infants, from birth to 12 months, is what helps them grow fast and healthy. It is very important an infant should get the right kind and amount of nutrients each day. Here are healthy diet tips that infants should eat:

Infant Feeding

1. Infants need milk that is rich in iron. So a goat’s milk, evaporated milk or a cow’s milk is never an alternative option for infants. Besides, these types of milk are harder to digest. Remember that breast milk is always best for infants. It can keep your baby from getting sick. It provides more antibodies.
2. If you will not breastfeed and want to result in using formulated infant’s milk, it is best to check the nutritional value. Never settle for formulated milks that have low iron content. Iron helps babies to grow healthy. It is also best to boil the water that you will use for mixing if you opt for powdered milk.
3. Never give soda, fruit juices, baby fruit juices, tea or coffee.
4. Always check the formulated infant’s milk if it is pasteurized. This assures you that all kinds of germs are killed.
5. Never give honey, raw eggs, or corn syrup. These contain germs that can harm your infant.
6. Never add anything on your breast milk like cereal or natural juices. These can alter the frequency of your baby’s feeding.

Your baby should be feed when he acts hungry like crying. Infants are usually fed every three hours. Remember that babies need to be fed 8 to 12 times within the 24 hours time.

We will continue to keep informing you about this infant feeding topic. Check other topic about baby nursery wall in this Infant-Learning.com site.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, babies under 12 months of age should be fed either breastmilk or infant formula. No other type of milk provides all of the nutrients in the right amounts to support optimal growth. Formula companies use human milk as a standard and produce a product, usually based on cows’ milk, which contains proteins, fats and carbohydrates in a proportion that is close to human milk. Then they add vitamins, minerals and other ingredients to bring the final product as close to human milk as possible. As ongoing research reveals factors in mothers’ milk that were previously not known, the drug companies that manufacture infant formula add them, and advertise the product as being “new” or “improved.” Some recent additions are ARA and DHA. Read labels carefully to know what is in the brand you purchase. When you choose a formula for your baby, it is usually best to start with one that is milk-based, since these are tolerated by most babies and are lower in cost than the specialized formulas. If your baby does not tolerate his formula, consult your pediatrician about which one to try next. While soy based formulas contain all of the nutrients needed to sustain growth, they also contain phytoestrogens that may affect a baby’s growth and development, and they hinder the absorption of zinc and calcium. According to an FDA paper, the AAP states “Healthy full-term infants should be given soy formula only when medically necessary.” (http://www.fda.gov/Fdac/features/596_baby.html) Specialized formulas for allergic babies are more expensive, and should be used on the recommendation of a pediatrician.

Bottles:

If your formula feed your baby, you will need bottles, nipples (teats), and a bottle brush for effective cleaning. There are many types and styles of bottles available, and what you choose depends upon your preference.
Bottles with disposable liners are fairly easy to use and easy to clean, but they are more expensive than other types because the liners have to be purchased throughout the months that your baby uses a bottle. Plastic bottles are lightweight, and most are easy to clean with hot soapy water and a brush. In recent months, news articles have warned about possible dangers from the leaching of a chemical called bisphenol A or BPA into milk from the plastic when bottles are heated, and also from the linings of the can the formula comes in. Although the FDA states that plastic bottles do not present a hazard to babies, you might want to research the different brands to see which are considered safer before purchasing bottles for your baby. A google search turned up lists of brands which are BPA free.

Different babies do better with different types of nipples. You should choose those with a slow flow at first, especially for a very young baby. If the milk flows too fast the baby may choke, or take in too much air. Be sure to replace nipples that become worn so that they do not break during a feeding. At times a baby who is teething may chew on the nipple and cause tiny pieces to come off, so inspect them on a regular basis.

Formula Preparation:

Infant formula comes in three forms: ready to feed, concentrate, and powder. Ready to feed formula is the easiest to use. It can be stored at room temperature until the can is opened, and is fed to the baby directly as it comes from the can. It is, however, expensive compared to the other types. Both other forms of formula must be mixed with water before feeding. It is very important to read the directions on the can to be sure that you add exactly the right amount of water so that the milk the baby receives is neither too dilute (which could lead to malnutrition) nor too concentrated (which could be hard on the baby’s kidneys). Some pediatricians (and the World Health Organization) recommend boiling all water prior to using it for a baby. Other doctors feel that it is OK to use water directly from the tap as long as it has been proven safe for drinking. If you are not sure, ask your pediatrician. Powdered formula is not sterile, and in recent months, reports have warned about the potential contamination of some such formulas with Enterobacter sakazakii, a bacteria that can cause infections in all ages, but newborns (under 1 month of age) and premature babies are at greatest risk. The World Health Organization recommends that formula given to these infants be ready to feed, or concentrate. If powdered formula must be used for a newborn, it should be prepared with boiling water or heated almost to boiling, then cooled before feeding to kill the bacteria if it is present. Once it is prepared, the formula should be refrigerated or kept cold with ice packs until the baby is fed. Discard any unused milk left in the bottle after feeding, since bacteria multiply quickly in warmed milk. Heating baby bottles in the microwave is not recommended because “hot spots” that can scald a baby may occur. If you do use a microwave, be sure to shake the bottle thoroughly to mix the formula completely. (Never microwave expressed breastmilk because that would kill some of the living cells that protect the baby from illness.)

Feeding the Baby:

Feeding time is very important in terms of your baby’s emotional and social well-being. You should always hold your baby in your arms when giving him a bottle, and cuddle him close. This is a good time to talk to your baby, look into his eyes, and watch him smile and interact with you. His head should be slightly elevated because most bottle nipples flow fast enough to choke a baby who is lying flat when he swallows. When feeding a newborn, stop and try to burp the baby every ounce or so. As baby grows, he can take in larger amounts without burping. Ask your pediatrician how much formula to feed your baby. Don’t force him to finish a bottle if he stops drinking and acts full. Most babies know how much they need, and overfeeding can predispose him to obesity later on. Never prop a bottle because of the danger of choking, and don’t put your baby to bed with a bottle. Milk that remains on his teeth during the night will promote tooth decay.

However your baby is fed, feeding time should be very comfortable and enjoyable for both of you. The baby nursery quality must also be considered in advance.

By: Anne Stiller, RNC, IBCLC