| FACTS |
Some interesting facts from a book called Milk, Money and Madness, written by Naomi Baumslag and Dia L Michels. "U.S. taxpayers unwittingly support and encourage bottle-feeding by spending over $500 million each year to provide 35% of the infants in the U.S. with free formula." "If every newborn in the U.S. were breast-fed for just 12 weeks, the health care savings from avoiding non-chronic diseases in the first year of life would be $2-4 billion yearly." "Through breastmilk, the human race has remained a viable species on this planet. Without breastmilk it is highly unlikely that we could have evaded distinction." "U.S. has one of the lowest Breast-feeding rates and one of the highest infant mortality rates in the industrialize world." "Federal health officials have estimated that in 1992 8,168 deaths occurred as a direct result of withholding breastmilk." "Insufficient Milk Syndrome, a disease that virtually didn't exist years ago and is now being diagnosed more frequently. Women become increasingly convinced that they are incapable of feeding their child, while the fact remains that it is practically unknown for a mammal in her normal environment to produce live young and not be able to suckle them. This is born out in many traditional societies, where the rate of mothers successfully Breast-feeding their young is near 100%." "A number of studies show a link between infants reared on breastmilk and an increased intelligence, but those studies have always been dismissed on the grounds that mothers who breast-fed either were more motivated or had bonded better, so there was no way to separate the mothering contribution from the intelligence scores. A new study from the University of Edinburgh compared IQ test scores of almost three hundred premature babies. The infants were too small to suck. Half receive breastmilk through a tube, half received formula through a tube. The children tested for IQ when they were eight years old. After taking into account the mother's social and educational status, the researchers found that the children who had received the breastmilk scored significantly higher on IQ test." "With successful letdown, 90% of the available milk in the breast can be obtained in less than eight minutes." "The hindmilk is essential to the infants nourishment. It contains four to five times more lipids, one and a half times more protein, and, by far, the greater percentage of nutrients. Babies who are given timed feeds by mothers attempting to feed by a schedule receive plenty of foremilk but are short changed of the calorie-dense hindmilk. Such babies appear to be unhappy, and hard to console, as they are still hungry. Breast-feeding failure rates are always much higher when the length of the feed is determined by anyone other than the infant." "The absorption of elements of human milk is much more efficient than either cow's milk or formula. For example, studies show that 49%of the iron in human milk in absorbed, less than 10% of iron in cow's milk and only 4% of the iron in iron-fortified formula is absorbed." "Breastmilk is one of the few substances that can actually attack viruses." "The composition of formula, a chemical preparation, is subject to human error. In 1992, the Consumer Council of India found live black insects and crawling worms in a 500 gram packet of Lactogen baby milk." "In the ten years from 1983-1993, formula was recalled twenty-two times due to safety problems, well over half from instances where the product would cause death or serious health consequences, in some cases irreversible." "In 1986 a U.S. factory had to be shut down because persistent salmonella in the powdered baby milk could not be eliminated." "In 1989, sepsis and meningitis were diagnosed in a handful of infants who receive formula containing the bacteria enterobacter sakazakii." "In 1990, 63,760 gallons of a liquid soy were recalled for contamination." |
 |
 |
| MORE FACTS |
 |
| Nursing should begin as soon as possible after birth. This is calming to both the mother and baby and helps establish milk production and 'latching on' As well it benefits mom as the sucking produces hormones which cause the uterus to contract.Clostrum is the first milk. It is slightly thick and yellowish. Clostrum helps to expel meconium and contains essential nutrients and immunological factors. No supplements should be given especially in the first few days which are so important in establishing mothers milk supply. Do not listen to claims that baby should be fed only every three to four hours. Frequent nursing encourages milk production and helps prevent engorgement. Breast milk is all your baby needs for the first six months. Even in very hot weather. Your milk will adjust to provide baby with the thrist quenching s/he needs. You may wish to increase the frequency of nursing. However, supplementing with a bottle of water can cause nipple confusion and too much water can actually cause problems for babies. Even after baby starts solids breast milk continues to be important providing baby with nutrients for body and brain development as well as immunological benefits. As baby continues to grow and begins to explore and put everything in his/her mouth breast milk helps prevent diarrhoea and if baby should become ill breast milk is easily digestable and will form antibodies to help baby fight off the illness. Breast milk provides protection agianst coughs, cold, earache and other common illnesses. It also helps protect the family budget as there are no expensive formulas, bottles and other paraphernalia to buy. Toddlers benefit from breast milk as it continues to change to meet babys needs. They also benefit from the soothing comfort it provides during the oft unsettled toddler years. |
 |
 |
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|