Breast Feeding
Aka: Breast Feeding, Infant Nursing, Lactation, Breast Milk
III. Advantages: Breast Feeding
- Lower Incidence of Infantile Colic
- Most important method of maternal-infant bonding
- Easier to digest than formula (related to protein)
- Human milk is digested in 1.5 hours
- Formula is digested in 4 hours
- Does not induce allergic response (contrast to formula)
- Diarrhea
- Gastrointestinal tract bleeding
- Atopic Dermatitis
- IQ higher for Breastfed infants
- Lower Incidence of feeding problems
- Gastroesophageal Reflux (Regurgitation)
- Constipation
- Colostrum contains multiple immune factors
- Macrophages
- Complement
- Lysozyme
- Lactoferrin
- Secretory IgA antibodies
- Infant receives 0.5 to 1g Secretory IgA per day
- Bacterial, Viral, and protozoal protection
- Macrophages
- Lower Incidence of infection
- Bacteremia
- Meningitis
- Botulism
- Gastrointestinal infection
- Lower respiratory infection
- Otitis Media
- Urinary Tract Infection
- Advantages to mother
- Faster return to pre-pregnancy weight
- Decreased postpartum bleeding
- Decreased Postpartum Depression risk
- Increased Bone Mineral Density
- Lower Incidence of Ovarian Cancer
- Lower Incidence of premenopausal Breast Cancer
- Lower risk of Type II Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease and Hypertension
IV. Efficacy: Breast Feeding is not guaranteed Contraception
- Bottle Feeding
- Postpartum 12 weeks: 100% of women ovulating
- Breast Feeding
- Postpartum 12 weeks: 20% ovulating
- Postpartum 20 weeks: 50% ovulating
- Postpartum 30 weeks: 75% ovulating
- Postpartum 40 weeks: 85% ovulating
- Postpartum 50 weeks: 95% ovulating
- Postpartum 60 weeks: 100% ovulating
V. Contraindications: Absolute
- Maternal HIV Infection
- Untreated Active Tuberculosis
- Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) lesions on Breast
- Chemical Dependency
- Important medication use that contraindicates Lactation
VI. Contraindications: Relative
- Tobacco Smoking in Lactation
- Significant nicotine exposure via Breast Milk
- 10x greater exposure than in bottle fed infants
- Mascola (1998) Am J Public Health 88:893-6 [PubMed]
VII. Advantages: Higher risk infants could benefit most from Lactation
- Respond positively to prenatal education
- Physician counseling and support
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