Breastfeeding should be initiated as soon after delivery as possible, preferably within the first half-hour after birth. Delaying breastfeeding for four hours or more results in a lower incidence of successful breastfeeding. Mothers should be encouraged to nurse on cue, usually 10-12 times a day, including during the night, for as long as the infant [...]
Breast Engorgement
Postpartum engorgement is a transitory condition due to lymphatic and vascular congestion, which prevents adequate milk flow. Engorgement can result in discomfort, difficulty in establishing milk flow and difficulty in latch-on. Engorgement can be prevented by early, effective and frequent nursing. Management includes rest and hand expression or pumping before nursing, to soften the [...]
Drugs
Generally, drugs given to nursing mothers appear in only small amounts in human milk, usually <1% of the maternal dosage. Most drugs are safe in the breastfed child. Several drugs, however, because of their high excretion into the breast milk and their toxicity, should be avoided during lactation (Table 1) 3,10,30,51,52 jn addition, lithium, drug [...]
An association between early exposure to cow’s milk protein and risk for insulin-dependent diabetes Adapted from: WHO/UNICEF. Protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding: The special role of maternity services. A joint WHO/UNICEF statement. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 1990:31 (suppl 1):171-183.72 mellitus has been reported in many studies. Bovine serum albumin may provoke an immunological response in [...]
Nutritional Considerations
Human milk contains the appropriate proportions of protein, carbohydrates, fat, minerals and vitamins for optimal growth, with the exception of vitamins D and K. All newborn infants should receive vitamin К at birth, and breastfed infants should receive vita-min-D supplementation until the diet provides an adequate source of vitamin D. The whey/casein ratio of [...]
The advantages of breastfeeding are many and have been well documented in the literature. Breastfeeding is universally accepted as the optimal method of infant feeding for the first year of life and thereafter as long as is beneficial to the mother-infant dyad. Studies have shown that benefits increase with the duration and exclusivity of breastfeeding [...]
