Composition of Breast Milk and its benefits to Mother

Composition of Breast Feed and Its Benefits to Mother

Breast Milk Is The Perfect Food  Components Of Milk Or Chemical Composition of Milk Benefits to the mother.

Breast Milk Is The Perfect Food

    The composition of breast milk is ideally suited to the needs of the baby and has all the nutrients that she needs for the first six months of life. The nutrients in breast milk can be more easily digested and absorbed than the nutrients in fresh milk or tinned milk. A baby needs less breast milk than animal milk to grow well.

Components Of Milk Or Chemical Composition of Milk

Lactose

    Breast milk contains more lactose than any other milk and this is essential for the human baby. It provides energy and helps the absorption of calcium. The enzyme lactase helps to digest lactose.

Fats

    Breast milk contains more polyunsaturated and essential fatty acids. There may be slightly less fat if the mother is severely malnourished. The protein in breast milk forms soft curds which are easy to digest, while the protein in animal milk forms thick curd in the baby's stomach which are difficult to digest.

Proteins

    Breast milk contains enough essential amino acids while animal milk often do not contain enough. Taurine, which is plentiful in breast milk has been credited with favoring growth of baby's brain.

Vitamins

    Breast milk contains water-soluble vitamin D, besides the fat-soluble fraction which protects against rickets. It also contains more vitamins A C and E than cow's milk. The breastfed baby does not require any vitamin supplements and she does not need fruit juice. If the mother is malnourished, she may have less vitamin A in her milk.

Minerals

    Breast milk contains the correct amount of salt, calcium and phosphate Cow's milk contains too much of these and they can make a baby ill Iron in breast milk is better absorbed. Breast milk is quickly digested because of a special enzyme, lipase, which digests fat. 

    It contains enough water for the baby even in a hot climate, as a result of which the breastfed baby does not need to drink any extra water Babies on breast milk are less likely to get colic, infantile allergies and eczema than artificially fed babies. It may prevent them from developing asthma.

    Growth factors Presence of growth factors in breast milk helps the baby's intestines to grow and develop so that the baby is able to digest and absorb other foods. How Breast Milk Protects Against Infection Breastfed babies less from diarrhea than artificially led babies. They also have fewer infections of respiratory tract, ear and urinary tract Breast milk contains antibodies (immunoglobulins) against many common infections. 

    When a mother has an infection, her milk soon contains antibodies against the new infection also.It contains a substance called the bifidus factor, which helps special bacteria called Lactobacillus bifidus to grow in the baby's intestine and prevent harmful bacteria, such as E coli from growing and causing diarrhea.

    Lactoferrin in breast milk binds free iron, which prevents the growth of harmful bacteria, yet allows the iron to be absorbed by the baby. Breastfed babies do not need to drink water even in hot weather and that too protects them from infections. It is ready to serve when the baby wants it, and is at the right temperature.

Benefits to the mother

    There are several benefits to the mother. It reduces anemia due to reduction of postpartum bleeding especially if breastfeeding starts soon after birth. It helps expulsion of placenta. It promotes early uterine involution due to oxytocin release.

    Obesity is less common among breastfeeding mothers.It has a protective effect against breast and ovarian cancers.

    Exclusive breastfeeding has a contraceptive effect, which is beneficial for mother's health. The first milk, colostrum, is nutritious and prevents diarrhea, pneumonia and other infections. It is rich in vitamin K that prevents bleeding in the newborn babies.