Breast milk is best for babies
Overwhelming research on breastfeeding shows the profound impact of breast milk on child survival, health, nutrition and the development of an infant.
In an endeavour to raise public awareness on the importance of breastfeeding in saving lives, a march was demonstrated last week to engage people and educate them about breast-feeding. This march was lead by UN partners, La Leche League. Dr Magdalena Whoolery, Leader of La Leche League noted that breast milk, unlike formula is a living organism required by infants. She stated that formula milk cannot change to meet the needs of a particular infant, and its taste stays the same unlike when using breast milk.
Breast milk is a natural food for babies, uniquely meeting their changing meets. Further more, breast fed babies are less likely to get sick and if they do get sick, they recover much more quickly than formula fed babies because their mother’s body produces antibodies specific to the baby’s infection. “Many people do not realise that a breast-fed baby ‘communicates’ to the mother’s breast via baby saliva, what antibodies are needed to combat a disease”, said Dr Whoolery.
She further noted that according to a Biologist, Dr Hinde, “When a baby sucks at the breast, a vacuum is created. Within the vacuum, the baby’s saliva is sucked back into the mother’s nipple where receptors in her mammary gland reads its signal”. According to UNICEF, formula is not an acceptable substitute for breast milk because formula at its best, only replaces most of the nutritional components of breast milk.
It is just food whereas breast milk is a complex living nutritional fluid containing anti-bodies, enzymes, long chain fatty acids, and hormones; many of which simply cannot be included in formula. In the first new months, it is hard for the baby’s gut to absorb anything other than breast milk. Even a baby feeding on formula or other foods can cause injuries to the gut, taking weeks for the baby to recover.
On the other hand, breastfeeding lowers the risk of obesity, cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, and childhood asthma and childhood kaemias. Breast-feeding is also more than just about overall development and bonding. Holding a baby skin to skin and breastfeeding helps with the wiring of the baby’s brain, as well as the maternal health immediately after delivery.
Asked about certain conditions that could restrict a mother from breast-feeding their babies, Whoolery said almost all mothers can breast feed that around 97 percent of mothers can breast feed if given the right support and advice. “The key is in empowering our mothers with correct information, ideally during their antenatal period and while they are in the hospital, and this is the reason why we have established La Leche League in Botswana.
We provide free mother to mother, evidence based information, encouragement and support by holding monthly meetings where mothers can meet and learn about breast feeding,” she explained. She also encouraged HIV positive mothers to visit their health care provider often to assess their health status and discuss infant feeding, so that they can make informed decisions. “Current evidence shows that if the viral load is reduced due to ARVs, transmission is also reduced, making breastfeeding safe and increasing child feeding.
Mixed feeding is not an option,” she stated. About 350 people attended the march, and Whoolery appreciated the positive feedback that they acquired on the day. La Leche League works with the Ministry of Health to establish peer-counselling training for their clients. They also work with Men and Boys of Gender Equality to provide key father to father support as well as advocating for breastfeeding as optimal nutrition.
