Although Dr. Clove has stressed countless times that breast milk is a [always imitated and never surpassed] existence to formula milk, we have always stressed that under normal circumstances, those who can breast-feed should not eat formula milk casually.
However, people think that fat babies are healthier, breast milk nutrition (formula milk is thicker than breast milk, There are still many people who think breast milk is unnecessary and not as good as formula milk due to misconceptions such as more nutritious) and infant crying signals (believing that breast milk is insufficient when a child cries). These misconceptions not only undermine mothers’ confidence in breast milk, but also cause many babies to fail to realize the various benefits of breast milk.
Today, Dr. Clove will talk about why breast milk is better than formula powder.
The Value of Colostrum
Some traditional ideas think that colostrum is yellow and sticky, and looks [dirty], so it is squeezed out directly and not given to the baby to drink, but in fact, colostrum is the most suitable food for the baby.
Colostrum refers to the milk secreted within 5-7 days after delivery. Colostrum contains less fat and more protein (the protein content can reach 20 ~ 30 g/L, which is 2 ~ 3 times that of mature milk). Colostrum is rich in secretory immunoglobulin (SIgA) and cytokines, as well as lactoferrin, interleukin, lipase, lysozyme and antibacterial factors. It is very helpful for newborn immune system, intestinal maturation and digestion and absorption.
Babies are born with small stomach volume, imperfect intestinal mucosa development and immature digestive enzymes. Colostrum contains less fat and lactose than mature milk, which is more suitable for the characteristics of poor digestion of fat and sugar in newborns.
Precious colostrum cannot be simulated or replaced by any formula powder. The best food for the baby’s first bite after birth is the mother’s colostrum.
Nutritional Value of Breast Milk
Colostrum is very precious, but breast milk at other stages can also provide rich nutrition for babies.
The composition combination of breast milk can not only perfectly meet the needs of the baby’s growth and development, but also does not add additional burden to the baby’s body metabolism. The immune composition in breast milk can also enhance the baby’s anti-infection ability, and the risk of otitis media, gastrointestinal infection, eczema, food allergy, respiratory diseases obesity and other diseases in breast-fed babies is also lower.
1. Nutrient composition
Protein
The protein contained in breast milk is mainly whey protein, and the clot formed in the stomach is small, which can be fully decomposed by gastric acid and intestinal protease, and is easier to be digested and absorbed by babies. The amino acid composition of protein in breast milk can better meet the needs of infants, and contains more cystine and taurine necessary for infants.
Fat
The fat content in breast milk is relatively high, which can provide more than 50% of the required energy for infants, and also contains relatively rich lipase, which makes the fat in breast milk easier to digest and absorb than milk fat. The end products after fat metabolism production capacity are carbon dioxide and water, which do not increase the kidney burden of infants.
Breast milk contains more polyunsaturated fatty acids, besides linoleic acid and linolenic acid, arachidonic acid and DHA, which can better meet the nutritional needs of infant brain development.
Carbohydrate
The lactose content in breast milk is about 7%, and-B lactose is the main one. Lactose can not only provide energy, but also produce lactic acid after being utilized by lactic acid bacteria in intestinal tract, which can inhibit the growth of Escherichia coli in intestinal tract and promote calcium absorption.
Some studies have shown that breast milk contains more than 200 kinds of oligosaccharides with a total content of about 12 g/L. These oligosaccharides are usually not digested by infant intestinal digestive enzymes and can be used as prebiotics after reaching colon, which plays an important role in the establishment of infant intestinal flora and the maturation of intestinal immunity.
Minerals
The excretion and concentration of the baby’s kidney are weak, and too much or too little minerals in food are not suitable for the baby.
Although the calcium content in breast milk is lower than that in milk, However, the ratio of calcium to phosphorus is 2: 1, which is more suitable and more conducive to the absorption of calcium. The absorption rate of iron in breast milk is also relatively high, reaching 50%, while the absorption rate of iron in milk is only 10%. Therefore, in order to achieve the necessity of infant growth and development, the formula powder will increase the mineral content when the nutrient ratio is used, to a certain extent, it will increase the baby’s kidney burden.
2. Immunoactive substances and growth factors
Breast milk is rich in immune substances, including specific immune cells, antibodies and non-specific immune substances, such as T cells, B cells, macrophages, immunoglobulins (SIgA, IgM, IgG), lactoferrin, lysozyme, complement (bacteria that help SIgA and lysozyme degrade), bifid factor, anti-inflammatory factor and anti-viral factor, etc.
Breast milk also contains a series of growth factors that can regulate the growth and development of babies and participate in tissue growth and differentiation, such as epidermal growth factor, nerve growth factor, insulin-like growth factor, transfer growth factor, etc.
Breast milk also contains thyroxine, prostaglandins, thyrotropin releasing hormone, corticosteroids, insulin, gastrointestinal regulatory peptides, erythropoietin, calcitonin and other hormones, which play a vital role in maintaining, regulating and promoting the growth, development and maturation of various organs of infants.
Although the formula milk powder has undergone certain formula design and technological processing, It ensures that the quantity and proportion of some nutrients are close to that of breast milk, but it cannot simulate the active ingredients such as immune substances and growth factors in breast milk. Moreover, there are still some components in breast milk that have not been clearly studied, and even there may be some undiscovered components. These formula milk cannot be imitated at all.
Other benefits of breastfeeding
The value of breast milk is not only reflected in nutrition, but also has the advantages that formula milk cannot replace in other aspects.
1. Enhance the relationship between mother and child and promote the cognitive development of the baby.
Breastfeeding can not only provide good nutrition for the baby, but also give the mother more opportunities to have intimate contact with the baby, which can not only appease the baby, but also enhance the sense of intimacy.
Hold the baby in your arms, communicate with him in sight, talk to him and sing to him. The rich facial expressions of your mother can also promote the development and development of your baby’s cognitive ability.
2. Reduce the risk of infectious diseases
Compared with formula feeding, breastfeeding can prevent infants from being exposed to contamination from food and tableware. Breast milk contains a variety of immunologically active substances, which can help resist infection by various pathogenic microorganisms and help mature the immune system.
The World Health Organization (WHO) showed in its 2013 report that if exclusive breastfeeding is maintained for more than 4 months, the risk of lower respiratory tract infection for infants under 1 year old can be reduced by 72%.
3. Promote maternal recovery and reduce disease risk
It takes nearly 500 calories to secrete milk every day. Breastfeeding can help mothers recover their body more easily after childbirth.
In addition, there is evidence that breastfeeding can also help women reduce the risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, hyperplasia of mammary glands, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and other diseases.
Is it necessary for the baby to drink breast milk after one year old?
Although the baby can drink milk directly after the age of 1, it is still good for the baby to continue breastfeeding.
Breast milk can still provide some energy, high-quality protein, calcium, breast milk oligosaccharides and other nutrients, as well as various immune protective factors for children after one year old. Continuing breast feeding is still helpful to promote intimate contact between mother and child and promote the development of children’s sensory, psychological and cognitive abilities.
The World Health Organization (WHO) also recommends that infants should be exclusively breastfed for 6 months and continue to breastfeed until they are 2 years old or even longer on the basis of supplementary foods.
There are many benefits of breast milk, but in the current reality, it is really not easy to insist on breast milk, especially after one year old. The decreasing amount of milk after carrying milk, the gossip of others and the incomprehension of family members have repeatedly hit breast-feeding mothers and even forced them to wean early.
Dr. Clove sent this article to discuss the benefits of breast milk. The original intention was not to put pressure on mothers, nor to blame mothers who feed formula milk to their babies. He just hoped that when mothers encountered difficulties on the way to breast milk, they could think about the benefits of breast milk and try not to give up so easily.