Breastfeeding, the ‘first vaccine’ for newborns

Breastfeeding is the single intervention that confers a lifetime of health benefits in infancy and beyond. As World Breastfeeding Week begins today, TOI brings some facts that assume greater significance during the pandemic phase
# Immunity benefits
- Breastfeeding is a baby’s first dose of immunization
- Protects from common disease by providing antibodies
- IgA and IgM antibodies are found in breast milk, they act against bacteria, viruses etc
- Contains lysozyme, lactoferrin, and oligosaccharides which help fight infection
- Babies who are breastfed respond better to vaccines
- Breastfed children perform better in intelligence tests
# Breastfeeding when returning to work
- Maternity Benefit Act gives 26 weeks’ leave
- It is also mandatory for employers (with more than 50 employees) to make a provision for daycare
- The employer must provide additional breaks to allow breastfeeding
- The baby may be cared for in daycare near the workplace, enabling the mother to go and feed during breaks
- Or milk can be expressed and stored for the baby to drink while the mother is at work
# Storing expressed breast milk
- Room temperature (16‐29C) 3‐4 hours, optimal 6‐8 hours acceptable under very clean conditions
- Refrigerator (<40C) up to 72 hours
- Freezer (<‐170C)- up to 6 months
- Glass containers are best suited
# Benefits of breastfeeding for mother
- Develops close relationship between mother and baby
- Lowers a mother’s risk of Type 2 diabetes, ovarian cancer and breast cancer
# Lactating mother and Covid vaccination
- Vaccinating lactating mothers could help provide babies with antibodies via breast milk
- World Health Organization recommends that mothers continue to breastfeed after vaccination
# Why mother’s milk best
- In human beings, brain growth is prioritized over body growth during the first year of life
- Human milk has the ideal composition to support this brain growth.
- Animal milk is meant for the rapid body growth of the offspring. For eg, the calves double their weight in 40 days, while human babies do it in 180 days
# What is best for your baby
Human milk
Animal milk
Infant formula
Protein
Correct amount, easy to digest
Too much, difficult to digest
Partly corrected
Fat
Enough essential fatty acids, enzymes to digest
Lack of essential fatty acids, no enzymes
No enzymes
Water
Enough
Extra needed
May need extra
Anti-infective substances
Present
Absent
Absent
QUOTE
When the mothers get an infection, her body makes antibodies. Some antibodies are sent to the breast and secreted in milk to protect baby. So, babies get instant protection
Dr Nishant Banait | assistant prof, neonatology, aiims-nagpur
(Text: Chaitanya Deshpande)