Question

6. What are reason(s) some moms choose not to breastfeed their babies?

7. What are some things we could all do to support moms who want to breastfeed their babies?

8. What should older infants and young children aged 6–23 months consume? Should breastfeeding continue during this time?

9. Why is consuming iron-rich foods so important for older infants starting at age 6 months?

10. Why are nutritional needs for infants and young children higher (on a per kg or lb basis) than at any other time in the life cycle? Which nutrients in particular?

Answer 1

6. What are reason(s) some moms choose not to breastfeed their babies?

Answer 6 :

The reasons some moms choose not to breastfeed their babies are

1.Lack of knowledge/training of breastfeeding or lack of  family/husband's support.

2.The need of having to return to work early leaving the child in daycare/ with parent/nanny causes the mother to transition the child to bottle feed early or not breastfeed at all.

3.Discomfort /lack of knowledge or affordability for using the breast pump

4. Absence of supportive environment, privacy or lactational room at work.

5.Breastfeeding discomfort like pain in the nipples, breast infection like mastitis, breast abscess also discourages the moms from breastfeeding.

6.Psychological feelings like altered body image, shame ,embarrassment, hindered sexual function.

Moms may also not breastfeed due to the .lack of motivation and the presence of postpartum depression..

7.Presence of maternal habits such as smoking or consuming excess of alcohol, coffee with worry that nicotine, alcohol or caffeine may pass through the breast milk into the infant harming the infant.

8. Maternal diseases with treatment like chemotherapy for cancer or other long term infectious diseases with the fear of passing the medications to the child in the breast milk causing newborn harm.

9. Maternal drugs addiction,mental health diseases in mother.

7. What are some things we could all do to support moms who want to breastfeed their babies?

answer:

Some things that could be done to support moms who want to breastfeed their babies are:

1..Encouragement,support and motivation to mothers explaining to them about the advantages of breastfeeding over formula milk

2. Providing  lactational support and education about the common problems related to breastfeeding like engorgement,sore nipples,breast discomfort and their solutions

3.New mothers practical breastfeeding training showing the mothers how to breastfeed actually with the proper posture and ergonomics

4. Demonstration of breast milk pumping techniques and hand breast milk expression in order to enable the moms to nurse the baby with breast milk in their absence,especially  in case of working mothers

5.Provision of skilled lactational experts as a routine part of the postpartum care of a new mother.

6..Provision of affordable breast pumps/easy availability of breast pumps on rent.

7.Establishment of nurseries at workplaces with breastfeeding room/lactational rooms.

8.Spouse/ family education sensitizing them to help the mother with the breast feeding process,domestic chores and provide for their financial and nutritional needs.

9.Social policies and workplace legislations to promote breastfeeding.

8 What should older infants and young children aged 6–23 months consume?

answer:

The older infants and young children aged 6–23 months should consume pureed /soft/semisolid/solid foods in addition to the formula milk or breast milk . Fortified cereals and pureed home foods like apple sauce are introduced to the child at 6 months of age onwards in addition to the formula milk or breast milk which is also called as weaning process. This is done in order to increase the calorie and nutrient consumption of the child required for the normal growth and development.

As the child becomes older, the pureed food should be gradually replaced by soft foods like mashed bananas and mashed potatoes and gradually semi solid and solid foods like boiled carrots,cut fruit, fine shredded meat must be introduced so that by the age of 12 to 23 months ,the child is able to partake small proportions of the normal meal that is prepared in the house.

The food given during the period of 6 to 23 months should be rich in macronutrients and micronutrients and fluids including adequate water and electrolytes intake prepared with hygeinic precautions to prevent illnesses..The food should provide high calories which are required for the rapid growth of the infant.

8.Should breastfeeding continue during this time?

answer:

Yes, breastfeeding can continue during this period as per maternal comfort and feasibility. Breastfeeding provides the child with wholesome nutrition and antibodies against diseases thereby providing child passive immunity and improving child health. Maternal antibodies play a key role in the child's immunity helping him/her fight infection thereby supporting the immune system. Hence it should be continued as long as possible during the period of 6 to 23 months

9.Why is consuming iron-rich foods so important for older infants starting at age 6 months?

answer:

The consumption of  iron-rich foods is very  important for older infants starting at age 6 months to provide for the increased red blood cells production,hemoglobin production , increased circulating blood volume thereby promoting adequate oxygen in blood and adequate oxygen delivery promoting cell growth and metabolism as there is a rapid phase of growth and development for older infants starting at age 6 months.Iron is an important constituent of the other building blocks of the body like muscle myoglobin and various enzymes and hormones

explanation:

Iron is an important mineral which is required for formation of hemoglobin that carries the oxygen in the blood.Iron is an important constituent of the other building blocks like muscle myoglobin and various enzymes and hormones and thus is necessary micronutrient for normal growth and development.The deficiency of iron leads to decreased hemoglobin and anemia,poor muscle development,deficient enzymes and hormones. causing growth stunting and growth retardation along with the developmental abnormalities .

The Infant gets iron from the breast milk or the fortified formula milk and maternal iron stores upto the age of 6 months. As the weaning process starts, the consumption of breast milk decreases and hence the weaning food should contain high amounts of iron which is required for the rapid growth and development that takes place.

In infancy,age 7 to 12 months iron required is 11 milligrams of iron consumption per day with toddlers and kids needing 7 to 10 milligrams of iron per day to support the normal growth and development.

10.Why are nutritional needs for infants and young children higher (on a per kg or lb basis) than at any other time in the life cycle?

answer:

The nutritional needs for infants and young children are higher (on a per kg or lb basis) than at any other time in the life cycle due to rapid growth and development involving increase in body mass and density.

As an infant undergoes growth and development to a child,there is increase in the the body mass and muscle mass and density along with brain growth,This phase of rapid growth requires appropriately higher amounts of macro and micronutrients in order to support the growth and development. As the rate/proportion of body growth is very high in the transition from the Infant stage to the early childhood stage than any other time in the life cycle,hence the need for the nutrients is much higher at this time than any other time in life.

10.Which nutrients in particular?

answer:

The macronutrients like proteins(for muscle mass,body structure), carbohydrates (for increased energy/glucose needs),fats especially essential fatty acids(for brain development,hormones formation), fibre(to prevent constipation),water are required in higher amounts to promote normal growth and development.

The micronutrients like iron (for hemoglobin,myoglobin formation),zinc(for immunity,enzymes),calcium(for bone growth), vitamins like vitamin A (for eye and skin development),vitamin D(for bone growth,vitamin E(for skin,cell repair)vitamin K (for clotting factors), vitamin B12(for RBC production), B1, B6 and folate (for RBC production), are also required in higher amounts