Formula Milk and Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding and Formula Feeding:

Breastfeeding is recommended by health professionals and organizations such as the United Nations for the first six months of a child’s life. However, not all parents will be able to meet these demands. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises parents to do so before their child is one year old.

Factors Affecting Breastfeeding:

Several factors can make it difficult for parents to breastfeed their children, resulting in the child being fed formula. A mother’s health condition, for example, can make it difficult for her to feed her child. In some instances, the baby’s milk supply may be inadequate, leaving formula feeding as the toddler’s only option. Cultural and social influences affect on the decision of a mother to breastfeed or not.

Benefits of Breastfeeding:

Research asserts that formula feeding is less efficient compared to breastfeeding as it is not possible to develop a formula that has exact ingredients, and composition as human milk. Every effort is however made to ensure that a kid has adequate nutrients during the first six months of growth. Milk from breastfeeding and formula one has different compositions hence will impact the growth of kids differently (Huang et al., 2016). Breastfeeding has numerous benefits compared to formula one. Milk from breastfeeding helps the brain of a child to develop as well as boosting the immunity of this toddler. Studies assert that this milk is crucial in helping a kid avoid diseases such as obesity and diabetes during growth.

Composition of Breastmilk:

Under standard conditions, human breastmilk comprises 7% lactose, 1% protein, 3.8% fat and 87% water. This composition, however, keeps changing with time. Lactose and fat provide the largest portion of the milk’s energy of 40% and 50% respectively (Martin, Ling, & Blackburn, 2016). Milk formulas can occur in ready to feed, liquid and powder form depending on the energy requirement of a child and financial prowess of the parent. Other benefits of breastfeeding compared to formula milk include: It improves the bond between a mother and her kid. It will also lower chances of a mother getting exposed to health conditions such as breast cancer and help a mother get rid of excess weight after giving birth (Rollins et al., 2016). It would thus be better if Mrs. G can go back to breastfeeding her child as soon as possible. Breastfeeding the baby from 6 months to one year will promote healthy growth of the kid and her as well.

Influence of Health Practitioners and Decision-making:

A woman’s decision to breastfeed or not is profoundly influenced by the health practitioners who offer support to them before, during and after birth (Rollins et al., 2016). It is thus unfair for the husband to Mrs. G to force her to visit a doctor whom she does not like at all. Considering the current health of Mrs. G, it is not possible for her to practice breastfeeding due to her ongoing health conditions and prior history with breastfeeding. Most mothers abandon breastfeeding at an early age due to poor advice and mistreatment by health practitioners and those around them (Rollins et al., 2016). This abuse lowers the self-esteem and confidence of a mother, compelling her to abandon breastfeeding. In the case above, the husband to Mrs. G do not fully listen to her and ends up imposing his decision on her. This move makes it hard for her to breastfeed her toddler despite her wanting to do so.

Suggestions for Mrs. G:

For Mrs. G to go back to breastfeed, she needs the help of a counselor to advise her to shun her negative attitude towards the American doctor and concentrate on improving her health and that of her kids. Currently, her biggest problem is her bad attitude towards the doctor making it impossible for her to follow medication strictly. After undergoing such counseling, she should visit a pediatrician who will advise her on how she can take good care of herself and the kids. She should slowly start introducing her toddler to breastfeeding and use formula milk when her milk is not sufficient. After following the advice from her doctor, she will be able to supply the kid with an adequate amount of milk and have a positive attitude towards breastfeeding. In case she remains healthy after undergoing the counseling, she should breastfeed the kid up to 12 months of age. At this period, she should gradually introduce the kid to formula milk. If her health does not allow her to breastfeed the kid, she should introduce the toddler to the formula milk instantly depending on the advice from the pediatrician.

References

Huang, P., Zhou, J., Yin, Y., Jing, W., Luo, B., & Wang, J. (2016). Effects of breast-feeding compared with formula-feeding on preterm infant body composition: a systematic review and meta-analysis. British Journal of Nutrition, 116(1), 132-141.

Martin, C. R., Ling, P., & Blackburn, G. L. (2016, May). Review of Infant Feeding: Key Features of Breast Milk and Infant Formula. Retrieved November 14, 2017, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4882692

Rollins, N. C., Bhandari, N., Hajeebhoy, N., Horton, S., Lutter, C. K., Martines, J. C., Lancet, G. R. (2016, January 30). Why invest, and what it will take to improve breastfeeding practices? Retrieved November 15, 2017, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26869576