Meaning Of Breast Feeding
Breastfeeding is the normal way of providing young infants with the nutrients they need for healthy growth and development. Virtually all mothers can breastfeed, provided they have accurate information, and the support of their family, the health care system and society at large.
Colostrum, the yellowish, sticky breast milk produced at the end of pregnancy, is recommended by WHO as the perfect food for the newborn, and feeding should be initiated within the first hour after birth.
Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended up to 6 months of age, with continued breastfeeding along with appropriate complementary foods up to two years of age or beyond.
Importance of breastfeeding
Breastfeeding a baby exclusively for the first 6 months, and then continued breastfeeding in addition to appropriate solid foods until 12 months and beyond, has health benefits for both the mother and child.
Importance of breastfeeding for mother
Research shows that breastfeeding has significant health benefits for mothers.
Breastfeeding:
- Assists the uterus return to its pre-pregnant state faster.
- Can help women to lose weight after baby’s birth.
- Reduces the risk of ovarian cancer and pre-menopausal breast cancer.
- Reduces the risk of osteoporosis.
- Reduces the risk of mothers with gestational diabetes developing Type 2 diabetes.
Importance of breastfeeding for baby
- Less illness
- Babies who are fed breast milk have a lower risk of :
- Gastro-intestinal (gut) illness
- Allergies
- Asthma
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- Some childhood cancers
- Respiratory tract (chest) infections
- Urinary tract infections
- SIDS (cot death).
- Breastfed babies are less likely to be hospitalized.
Causes of Infants Mortality
The death of a baby before his or her first birthday is called infant mortality. The infant mortality rate is an estimate of the number of infant deaths for every 1,000 live births. Most of these babies die because they are;
- Born with a serious birth defect.
- Born too small and too early (i.e., preterm birth; birth before 37 weeks gestation).
- Victims of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
- Affected by maternal complications of pregnancy.
- Victims of injuries (e.g., suffocation).
Causes of Birth Defects
Birth defects are structural or functional abnormalities present at birth that cause physical or mental disability. Some may be fatal. Birth defects have a variety of causes, such as:
- Genetic problems caused when one or more genes doesn’t work properly or part of a gene is missing
- Problems with chromosomes, such as having an extra chromosome or missing part of a chromosome
- Environmental factors that a woman is exposed to during pregnancy, such as rubella or German measles while pregnant, or using drugs or alcohol during pregnancy.
Causes of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
A combination of physical and sleep environmental factors can make an infant more vulnerable to SIDS. These factors may vary from child to child.
Physical factors
Physical factors associated with SIDS include:
- Brain abnormalities. Some infants are born with problems that make them more likely to die of SIDS. In many of these babies, the portion of the brain that controls breathing and arousal from sleep doesn’t work properly.
- Low birth weight. Premature birth or being part of a multiple birth increases the likelihood that a baby’s brain hasn’t matured completely, so he or she has less reliable control over such automatic processes as breathing and heart rate.
- Respiratory infection. Many infants who have died of SIDS have recently experienced a cold, which may contribute to breathing problems.
Sleep environmental factors
The items in a baby’s crib and his or her sleeping position can combine with a baby’s physical problems to increase the risk of SIDS. Examples include:
- Sleeping on the stomach or side. Babies who are placed on their stomachs or sides to sleep may have more difficulty breathing than those placed on their backs.
- Sleeping on a soft surface. Lying face down on a fluffy comforter or a waterbed can block an infant’s airway. Draping a blanket over a baby’s head is also risky.
- Sleeping with parents. While the risk of SIDS is lowered if an infant sleeps in the same room as his or her parents, the risk increases if the baby sleeps in the same bed partly because there are more soft surfaces to impair breathing.
Importance of Knowledge of Genetic Disorder in Family
A genetic disorder is a disease that is caused by an abnormality in an individual’s DNA. In other word, genetic disorder is an illness caused by abnormalities in genes or chromosomes. Abnormalities can range from a small mutation in a single gene to the addition or subtraction of an entire chromosome or set of chromosomes. Sickle cell disease, cystic fibrosis, cancer, obesity, mental illness, Alzheimer disease and Tay-Sachs disease are examples of genetic disorders
Knowledge of genetic disorder may assist the family by:
- Identifying the likelihood that certain diseases or conditions may develop based on genetic information, and then anticipating the timing of the expected disorder in the person’s life cycle.
- Helping families prepare pragmatically and emotionally for expected challenges, such as: living with uncertainty, care giving strains, and losses associated with various genetic conditions as they may unfold.
- Helping families create meaning that sustains hope and promotes mastery.
- Identify effective treatments, or teaching coping skills for disorders with little hope for treatment.
- Can lead to better care and management of the patient and ultimately to improved quality of life
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