Lecture 6B: Nutrition During Infancy And Childhood

Question 0

What are the benefits of breast feeding?

Answer 0

• growth
• morbidity, mortality
• cognition
• later disease patterns (chronic diseases)
• breaks feeding reduces the risk and severity of a number of conditions in infancy and later life
• breast milk energy (well absorbed)

Question 1

Breast feeding.
What age should you till?
Do you consume fluids with it also?

Answer 1

Encouraged to breast feed to around 6 months, no other fluids are needed for 1st 6 months.

• breast feeding is beneficial to infant and mother
• advise women to continue breast feeding with appropriate complementary foods until 12 months of age and beyond for as long as mother and child desire
• encourage the mother to use expressed breast milk when away, and breast feeding when together

Question 2

Breast milk also contains a range of non-specific and pattern specific protective factors, including

Answer 2

Proteins
Lysozyme
Prolactin
More info on slide 5 of guest speaker

Question 3

Breast feeding to around 6 months, major points

Answer 3

• exclusive breast feeding to around 6 months is assosiated with the lowest short, medium and long term risk of morbidity and mortality, including obesity and allergic diseases
• intro of complementary food before 3 months is assosiated with increased risk of allergic disease.
• around 6 months is the window of tolerance for introducing complementary foods
• only breastfeeding for around 6 months is assosiated with the lowest risk of later obesity.

Question 4

Tell me about obesity and breastfeeding

Answer 4

• BM has an ideal balance of nutrients, unlike formula milks (excess calories may program the number of cells in adipose tissue)
• BM helps program appetite
• BF on demand helps babies learn to self regulate their appetite
• BF babies have a slower growth velocity and grow leaner (formula fed babies have an earlier

Question 5

Introducing solids

Answer 5

• timing is important
• complementary feeding while continuing breast feeding
• around six months
• nutritionally dense foods
  
  • iron
  • calcium
• gradually increase quantity and variety with safety in mind
• eating habits established in childhood are retained into adulthoodr

Question 6

Monitoring growth

Answer 6

• exclusively breastfed and formula-fed infants follow different growth trajectories
• regular weighing is still the best way of monitoring growth