Disadvantages of Artificial Feeding Breastfeeding In Special Situations

Disadvantages of Artificial Feeding & Feeding of Twins and Cleft Lip Child

Twins Baby  Low Birth Weight Babies Cleft Lip or Palate  Feeding an III Child Working Mother And Breast Feeding 

The Disadvantages of Artificial Feeding

    Contamination: Artificial feeds are often contaminated with bacteria, especially if the mother uses a feeding bottle, which she does not clean and boil properly.

    Animal milk does not contain living white cells and antibodies to protect the baby against infection. Artificially fed babies are more prone to diarrhea and respiratory infection. 

    It is expensive and the family may not be able to afford it and may give diluted milk to save money. The iron from animal milk is not absorbed as well as the iron from human milk. An artificially fed baby may develop anemia.

    If contains too much salt which may result in fits. Too much calcium and phosphates may cause tetany, Le. twitching.

    Animal milk contains more saturated fatty acids and does not contain enough essential fatty acids. Contains too much casein, which is difficult for a baby's immature It kidneys to excrete.to It is more difficult to digest, as it does not contain the enzyme lipase Babies fed on animal milk may develop allergies during childhood. digest the fat.

    Any supplement given to babies below 6 months of age increases the risk of infection and death. What to do to Ensure Adequate Breast Milk Reassure the mother that she has plenty of milk and advise her to sit or lie down in a comfortable and relaxed position when she feeds the baby. Sometimes a warm drink also helps. 

    Make sure that breastfeeding is not painful by putting the baby to the breast in the correct position. She should be encouraged to feed the baby more often and for longer periods.

Breastfeeding In Special Situations

Cesarean Section

    Even though a woman experiences a lot of pain and discomfort after a cesarean section, breastfeeding should be started as soon as possible preferably within four hours. No other feed should be given. The mother will need help to put the baby to the breast for a day or two. She can feed her by lying on her side, with the baby next to her.

Twins Baby 

    Most mothers have enough milk to feed twins but will need a lot of support and encouragement. Some mothers feed one twin first and then the others. while others prefer to feed them at the same time. The health worker should reassure the mother that she does have enough milk for two babies more sucking produces more milk.

Low Birth Weight Babies

    If the baby is very small and cannot suck, the mother's milk should be expressed several times a day (six to eight times), and the expressed breast milk (EBM) should be fed to the baby from cup or palada kind of spoon).

    The baby should be allowed to suck as soon as she is able to do it. The baby should be helped to put the nipple into her mouth. After the baby has sucked all she can, the mother should feed her EBM from a small cup with a spoon. Bottles and teats should not be used.

    Make sure the baby is warm. The best way is to let the baby sleep with the mother, wrapped up in the same blanket.

    Weigh the baby regularly to make sure that she is gaining weight

    A mother whose baby has a cleft lip or palate needs extra encouragement and support. With a cleft of the lips and gums, there is usually no problem If the cleft involves the palate, sucking becomes difficult. The baby may appear to choke sometimes and the milk may come out through the nose. 

    It might help if the mother holds the baby in a more upright position. Some babies need to be fed EBM (expressed breast milk) through a tube or from a cup until they are able to suck well enough at the breast. Some babies need to be fed through a special long teat. The baby should be seen by a pediatrician in case of a home delivery.

Cleft Lip or Palate
Feeding an Sick Child

    Breastfeeding should be continued when the child is ill. She may suck less strongly or for a shorter time, so encourage mothers to feed the baby more frequently. Breast milk is the most easily digestible food for a baby who is ill. Besides suckling provides comfort to the baby.

Working Mother And Breast Feeding 

    One of the more frequently cited reason for not breastfeeding is that the mothers have to go back to work. A majority of mothers, both in rural and urban areas work. Most of them work in the non-organized sector and are not entitled to any leave at all. In the organized sector, there is a provision of three months maternity leave (6 months in Haryana and Punjab) which can be availed of partly in the last few weeks of pregnancy and partly after delivery, or it can be availed of after delivery only. 

    However, even this is not enough for satisfactory breastfeeding. If possible, the mother should take her baby with her to work, or ask someone to bring the baby to her place of work. There are hardly any child care centers or creches at the work place and those that are not satisfactory and the workers are not adequately trained. 

    This makes the task of breastfeeding difficult and is responsible for early cessation of breastfeeding. However, breastfeeding should be continued for as long as possible, and whenever the mother is at home, during the day or night. Many babies make up at night what they have missed during the day.

    The baby should be breastfed early in the morning. Before the mother es out to work, she should express as much milk as she can into a clean from a cup with a spoon or with palada. A feeding bottle should not be cup and leave it for the person who is looking after the baby feed it to her used. Many mothers are able to express 400 to 500 ml, even after the baby has been fed.

    The cup of EBM should be covered and left in the coolest place possible Expressed breast milk can be kept for eight hours without refrigera It is not necessary to reheat the milk for the baby to drink