Breast & Formula Feeding

Question 1

What are the NICE guidelines on infant feeding?

Answer 1

Ideally should be breast fed with weaning at 6 months.

First feed should ideally be given within 1st hour alongside skin to skin contact. This helps bonding and is also very important to prevent hypoglycaemia particularly in neonates of women who are/were diabetic in pregnancy.

Question 2

What are the benefits and drawbacks of breast feeding?

Answer 2

Benefits:

• Ideal nutrition
• Reduces GI infection and necrotising enterocolitis
• Passes on maternal immunity to certain diseases
• Enhances relationship
• Reduces the risk of type 1 diabetes, hypertension and obesity later in life.

Drawbacks:

• Unable to quantify how much milk is being drank
• Can spread maternal infection
• Drugs and environmental contaminants from the maternal circulation can be transmitted to the baby
• Risk of breast milk jaundice

Question 3

What is formula milk?

Answer 3

It is modified cow’s milk.

Unmodified cow’s milk is unsuitable as it contains too much protein, electrolytes and inadequate iron and vitamins.

Question 4

What is different about the specialised formula’s which can be given in cow’s milk protein intolerance, lactose intolerance and CF?

Answer 4

They are modified so that:
The protein is hydrolysed cow’s milk protein (broken down), amino acids or from soya.

The sugar is glucose instead of lactose.

The fats are a combination of medium (can be absorbed without bile and pancreatic enzymes) and long chain triglycerides.

In CF you can also get increase calorie feeds