A Research Study On Infant Feeding Practices

Breast milk provides all the necessary proteins, vitamins, sugar and fats essential for an infant’s growth

Very few experts disagree with the fact that breastfeeding is the optimal choice for the infant. However, decreasing breastfeeding rates raise many questions as to why mothers are not choosing the best nutritional choice for their children. Despite breast milk being the obvious choice for infant feeding due to the health, psychological, and economic benefits, many mothers still decide to feed their infants formula due to lack of knowledge and support, difficulties with breastfeeding, and social embarrassment. Changes need to be made with formula companies, medical professionals, and the public opinion of breastfeeding in order to give nursing mothers the support they deserve.

Infant nutrition is vital for growth and development. According to a Web page posted by KidsHealth, “Breast milk contains antibodies, lactose, protein, and fat…,” which are

Thesis: Breastfeeding provides unique nutrients for the baby, protects from disease, has health benefits for the mother, and provides a unique bond between mother and baby.

Whether to breastfeed or to formula feed is one of the many decisions parents have to make when caring for a newborn baby. The decision may seem simple in which parents base there decision on comfort, convenience and finance but little do most parents know the decision being made can have damaging long term effects than that of the present. There is plenty of research that state the significance of breastfeeding that go far beyond the extent of bonding between mother and newborn. Although, that too is important. Breast milk is known to contain antibodies which can help the newborn in developing a strong immune system which influence all the body systems. Research has shown that breast-milk can help prevent long term diseases such as

Breast-feeding is nutritionally, emotionally and physically superior for a mother and her child. “Human breast milk is not standard nor is it interchangeable with cow’s milk. It is a dynamic fluid that changes in composition to meet the needs of the baby as it grows” (“Giving your Baby... Diet.” par. #10). Breast milk contains growth factors and antibodies which stimulate the growing baby and protect it from illness such as diarrhea, ear infections, rashes, allergies, asthma, skin problems, pneumonia, respiratory illness and other serious illnesses. Breast-feeding also improves a baby’s chance of remaining healthy. These antibodies are not found in formula. They can not be sustained. Breast-fed babies are also neurodevelopmentally more

Breast feeding has been in practice for a very long time, as early as 2000 BC. Before the invention of formula, bottles, and pumps this was the safest most common way for a mother to feed their infants. In fact, for 99% of human history breast milk was the sole source of nutrition for children until the age of two. In today’s society there are many different and opposing personal stand points on where or not a mother should breast feed their children. It is a very controversial topic with many variables. In breast feeding there are several benefits, reasons, and cultural effects that go into making the decision to engage or stay away from breast feeding. There is also historical causes and cultural differences that lead influence a mothers

An infant who is breastfed receives added health benefits compared to a child who is formula fed. In the first few days after birth, the breast milk is comprised of protein, vitamins A and E, and antibodies which help protect the infant from infection. After the first few days, the mature breast milk contains fats and cholesterol, which are essential for the growth and development of the infant’s nervous system, eyes, and brain. It also contains micronutrients calcium and magnesium, which are beneficial to the infant’s growth (Thompson et al., 2010).

Breastfeeding has many benefits for mother and child. Breastfeeding goes in stages, and each is vital for the baby’s health and development. From birth to three months, the baby will experience several growth spurts to increase the mother’s milk supply and to nourish him. The baby in these periods may be more fussy and less satisfied with the normal amount of milk given. At birth and a short time after, the mother will produce a thick yellow fluid called ‘colostrum’, which is filled with antibiotics and vitamins to help prepare your baby for any kind of illness or complication that may arise as they enter the world. As the baby feeds more and grows more, changes in breast size is normal, and loss of ‘prelactation’ fluid is common, because

“Breastfeeding is an unequalled way of providing ideal food for the healthy growth and development of infants; it is also an integral part of the reproductive process with important implications for the health of mothers” Statement taken from the world health organization publication on the nutrition of exclusive breastfeeding.

Any infant enters the world completely relying on their mother, whether it’s to provide security, comfort, or their first meal. Breastfeeding, although pretty self-explanatory, is the act of a woman feeding a baby with milk from her breast. It is recommended that a baby be breastfed for the first time within an hour of their birth and exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life (Belsky, 2012). However, there is a stigma attached to breastfeeding in some areas of the world, especially the United States, so a common alternative is formula. There are many benefits not only the infant can gain from being breastfed, but also benefits the mother can obtain from providing this nutrition for her child. This paper will discuss

Proven as the ideal method for feeding babies, nationwide 76% of new moms choose to breastfeed and forgo formula feeding, but by three months post-partum that percentage has dropped drastically (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity 4). While breastfeeding is proven to reduce the risk of diarrhea, pneumonia, obesity, type-II diabetes, and improve results on intelligence tests (World Health Organization) many new moms abandon their goals of feeding babies for the recommended 2 years (World Health Organization) because of the discrimination received while nursing in public. Being viewed as a life choice, not a health choice, the general public ostracizes and alienates these women, arguing that modesty is more important than a baby’s right to eat. In 2012, a study performed by Lansinoh Breastfeeding found that while “79% of moms know that breastfeeding is the best choice for a healthy baby” (Lansinoh Laboratories Inc., fig. 1), an unbelievable 40% say their biggest fear pertaining to breastfeeding is nursing in public (Lansinoh Laboratories Inc.). Pleading that nursing a baby is natural, multitudes of comments counter that argument, saying defecation, urination, and even sexual intercourse is natural as well, but they aren’t doing it in public. These types of comments are disadvantageous to breastfeeding success rates and are regulating women to restrooms, changing rooms, hot vehicles, and even homes, in

There are many misconceptions today about feeding formula to babies and it being equal to breastfeeding. Breast milk is complex and species-specific; it targets growth and development of infants and provides disease protection. Both breast milk and formulas contain similar nutrients, but formulas are not an exact copy of breast milk. Formula may maintain growth and development, but it doesn’t contain hormones, live cells, immunologic agents, or enzymes, all of which are contained in breast milk. Breast milk contains four-hundred nutrients that cannot be recreated in a laboratory. Formula compositions don’t change to meet the infant’s changing needs. Although many formulas are similar to breast milk, they have drastic differences in

This study was designed to determine the association between feeding behaviour and infants’ nutritional status. Although HAZ, WHZ and WAZ are all indicators of nutritional status and were assessed in this study, more emphasis will be given to WAZ as it is the generally used indicator in the municipal. It also incorporates elements of WHZ and HAZ. A high prevalence of underweight (15%) was seen in this study. This is almost thrice the prevalence in the municipal (6%) (Ho Municipal Health Service, 2016) and also higher than the national prevalence (11%). The variance here could be due to the differences in selection of participants. The municipal uses monthly sentinel data which is a random selection of 10 sentinel sites and collates the results over the year. This study however employed convenience sampling hence it is possible that only mothers who were concerned about the poor nutritional state of their children attended the clinic. Another possible explanation is that there is overestimation of infants weight from the monthly sentinel data. The mean WAZ was -0.88±1.357 which indicates that the population is more at risk of malnutrition than a normal population with an expected mean WAZ of 0.0.

When you were a baby how were you fed? Mothers breastfeeding their children is timeless. Well, everyone is entitled to their own opinion most of the time when it comes to breasts, but when it’s breastfeeding everyone in society shuts the door. Breastfeeding is an action done by a mother who is feeding their baby with milk of her own. Breastfeeding is look down upon because of American Culture, it has gone from the main source of food for infants to an uncomfortable, less used practice and basically discriminated many women especially much more commonly in present day. While in the past, new mothers mostly breastfed in private or were very discreet when doing so, the introduction of formula created another option for women. In 1865, chemist Justus von Liebig developed what was considered the perfect infant food; formula. This introduction of formula created another option for women, creating a new shift in society. The use of artificial feeding substances grew rapidly and was significantly influenced by advertising campaigns. This had a profound negative effect on breastfeeding trends, despite research on how beneficial it is to breastfeed an infant. Therefore, breastfeeding is look down upon because of American culture.