Question

LIFE CYCLE NUTRITION ASSIGNMENT

Life Cycle Nutrition

Objectives:

1. Have a better understanding of the professional thoughts on one issue in life cycle nutrition.

2. Identify a scholarly source for information.

DUE:

1.     Find an article from a professional journal or on the WEB that deals with some aspect of nutrition in relation to pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood or the elderly.

Suggested topics could include but not limited to:

·       Breastfeeding

·       Success (or not) of the WIC program

·       Pica/Morning sickness

·       Hydration in the elderly

·       Failure to Thrive

·       Adolescent Pregnancy

2. Write a Minimum 500-word summary of the article. Write your reaction of why you chose the article, what you learned and whether you agreed or disagreed with some of the ideas. (Will it be helpful to you in the future?)

Answer 1

www.jpnim.com

Fani Anatolitou, Human milk benefits and breastfeeding, Journal of Pediatric and Neonatal Individualized Medicine 2012;1(1):11-18

doi: 10.7363/010113

Breastfeeding is the best example of individualization in Pediatrics. Human milk is the secretion of the mammary gland of changing composition, as the foremilk differs from hindmilk, and composition of colostrum is entirely different from transitional and mature milk. The composition of the human milk changes with time of day and during the course of lactation. The findings of extensive researches have revealed the health, nutritional, immunologic, developmental, psychological, social, economic and environmental benefits of human milk. The infant and maternal health benefits of breastfeeding are proved by the literature.

The composition of human milk is species-specific, all other formulas differ markedly from it and thus human milk is uniquely superior for infant feeding. Human milk consists of all the essential nutrients, such as proteins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins and trace elements that are essential to fulfil the nutritional needs of young infants and ensure normal growth and development. The protein component of breast milk is of higher biological value.

Human milk of healthy mothers composed of the required amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). They may vary over the course of lactation. The major carbohydrate in human milk is the disaccharide lactose, which contains large amounts of neutral and acidic oligosaccharides with complex molecular structures affecting the healthy development of gut microbiota and immune system. Many immune-related components such as IgA, leukocytes, lysozyme, lactoferrin, interferon-?, nucleotides, cytokines and others are present in the breastmilk. They offer passive immunity in the gastrointestinal tract and to some extent preventing adherence of pathogens to the mucosa in the upper respiratory tract, thereby providing protection against invasive infections. Human milk also consists of many other essential fatty acids, enzymes, hormones, growth factors, polyamines and other biologically active compounds and they have the specific role in the health benefits associated with breastfeeding. The risk of allergies are also less with breastfeeding and it aids the development of the brain and the eye. These properties make human milk a truly functional food and bioactive components offer both short-term and long-term benefits as regards to health and development.

The positive effects of breastfeeding include:

• save lives in countries with poor hygiene conditions.
• around 1.3 to 1.45 million deaths in 42 high-mortality countries have been prevented by increased levels of breastfeeding.
• Prevention of infections.
• decreases the incidence of infectious diseases.
• Reduction in morbidity in the first year of life.
• The severity of infections is reduced.
• Decreased rate of nonspecific gastrointestinal tract infections.
• Provides protection against necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC.
• Many studies suggest decreased rates of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
• lower incidence of allergies like asthma, atopic dermatitis and eczema. (
• Reduced chance of overweight obesity and diabetes.
• Decreased chance of Malignant disease
• Better Neurodevelopmental outcomes
• Decreased chance of risk of NEC and sepsis in preterm infants

Maternal health outcomes like decreased postpartum bleeding and rapid uterine involution, decreased menstrual bleeding, decreased risk of breast cancer and decreased risk of ovarian cancer. Reduction in risk of postpartum depression earlier returns to prepregnancy weight.

The community also benefits from breastfeeding in terms of reduction in managing the cost of infections and other diseases.