Breast feeding; Infant Feeding Part 1: Breastfeeding Flashcards
Why do most women not breast feed/stop?
90% of women have problems and stop breastfeeding before they want to. Common problems, such as painful nipples, sore breasts and feelings of having insufficient milk, can be prevented or solved with appropriate care.
What are the beneficial health outcomes for breast fed infants over formula fed infants ?
Breast-fed infants have been shown to have better outcomes in the following conditions:
- Acute otitismedia
- Non-specific gastroenteritis
- Severe lower respiratory tract infections
- Atopic dermatitis
- Obesity
- Childhood leukaemia
- Sudden unexplained death in infancy (SUDI)
- Necrotising enterocolitis
In addition, later in life, they have been shown to have:
- Lower mean BP
- Lower total cholesterol
- Reduced likelihood of developing Type 1 and 2 diabetes
- Higher IQ
What conditions arebreastfeeding mothers less likely to suffer from compared to formula feeding mothers?
Breastfeeding mothers are less likely to suffer from:
- Type 2 diabetes
- Breast cancer
- Ovarian cancer
- Postnatal depression
- Early return of fertility (could be a problem as may not have started contraception yet)
What are the recommendations for breast feeding ?
- WHO recommends exclusively breast-feeding for the first 6 months of an infant’s life (no other food or drink including water should be given during first 6 months), it is recommended breastfeeding should continue beyond 6 months, alongside the introduction of appropriate solid foods, for upto 2 years of age or as long as the mother chooses
When should solid foods be introduced for breast-fed and forumla- fed babies ?
Recommended time of introduction is about the same
Around 6 months solid foods should start to be introduced
What are the recommendations for vitamin D supplementation for all pregnant and breastfeeding women ?
All pregnant and breastfeeding women should take 10 μg/day
What are the recommendations for vitamin D supplementation for infants and when should supplementation be started?
All breast-fed infants from 6 months 7 μg/day
If the mother was not taking vit D supplements during pregnancy how does this change the recommendations for vit D supplementation in the infant ?
It should be started from 1 month old rather than 6 months
Why are vit D supplements given in the mother and infant ?
Because 1 in 4 women of childbearing age have low vit D levels
When can HIV be transmitted from mother to child ?
During pregnancy, labour and breastfeeding
What are the recommendations for breast feeding in mothers with HIV ?
HIV women are recommended to avoid all breastfeeding to reduce any potential risk of transmission of HIV to the baby (unless no access to nutritionally adequate breast milk substitutes)
If a HIV positive mother decides to start breast-feeding what should you recommend ?
To breastfeed exclusively and stay on medication that keeps viral counts low or non-detectable
How frequently do exclusively breast-fed infants feed?
- Each infant will develop its own feeding patterns so not set answer
- In first 48hrs feeding may be infrequent due to little milk produced
- After this frequency of feeding of breast-fed infants have found medians ranging from six to 15 feeds in 24 hours.
When does milk supply generally start to increase and switch from colostrum to normal breast milk?
Around 3 days
Does breast size determine the amount of milk produced ?
No
