What Infant Formula Contains?
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There are two types of formula milk: whey-dominant and casein-dominant.
- Both are based on cow's milk.
- Whey-dominant milks are the most highly modified and closest to breastmilk; therefore, these are considered to be the most suitable for babies less than three months old.
- Casein-dominant feeds are marketed as more suitable for older or hungrier babies. Although they have the same nutritional composition, it may be that the type of curds formed in the stomach from casein take longer to digest, leaving the baby feeling fuller for longer.
(www.bbc.co.uk/health)
Advantages of Breast Feeding
- All mothers produce breastmilk. It's all your baby needs for the first six months.
- It contains antibodies that help protect against infections - the antibodies you make in response to germs appear in your milk.
- Breastfeeding helps mobilise fat stores and this helps with post birth weight loss.
- Breastmilk is convenient - it needs no preparation, and it's free!
- Breastmilk is always the right temperature.
- It has also been found to help prevent breast and ovarian cancers
Mother’s Milk – Benefits Beyond Breast Feeding?
In addition to providing energy and nutrients, human milk has other important beneficial health effects for infants. These include promoting a healthy gut environment and protection against infections. It is not yet known specifically what constituent of the milk provides these benefits. Amongst the various components of human milk (cells, immunoglobulins, peptides, nucleotides, and diverse glycoconjugates) non-nutritional oligosaccharides (short chains of carbohydrates) are one of the most important candidates for mediating the beneficial effects of human milk for newborn infants.
Disadvantages to Breast Feeding
- Inconvienient if going back to work.
- May find it uncomfortable.
- May encounter rashes on the breast.
- Exhaustion and weakness may be experienced due to lack of nutrients.
Advantages of Bottle Feeding.
- Is convienent for working mums.
- Is more socially accepted.
- Can be made up easily with water or in ready-made cartons.
(www.bbc.co.uk/health)
Disadvantages of Bottle Feeding
Baby may experience:
- Diarrhoea and vomiting
- Poor weight gain
- Excessive weight gain
Bottle Feeding can also be very
expensive as bottle-feeding needs more equipment.
Breast or bottle?
Feeding your baby can be very rewarding and a time to enjoy a real feeling of closeness. Babies get far more than just nutrition from a feed - they enjoy the cuddle, the comfort and the satisfaction of a full tummy.In the UK, most mums start off breastfeeding. Breastmilk supplies all the nutrients your baby needs for about first six months but, for some mums, breastfeeding isn't an option. A large number of mums switch to formula feeding sooner than they originally planned. If you want to continue breastfeeding it's important to get the right help - which isn't always easy.Problems with formula feeding are common too. Feeding in these first few months, however it's done, can be a source of anxiety.It's important to get the hole of the teat just right for your baby. If it's too small, he'll be exhausted from sucking and may swallow too much air. If it's too big, the milk will come out too quickly and could cause choking.Your feeding choice may seem clear cut to you, but take the chance in pregnancy to talk it through and get the most up-to-date information you can. It's an issue people can feel strongly about, and it's surrounded by a lot of folklore and myth.
Bibliography
www.bbc.co.uk/health
www.nutrition.org.uk