Breast Milk as Sole Nutrition of Infants is Deficient in Some Respects

When an infant is born, the umbilical cord still connects the baby with the placenta, which remains joined to the uterine wall. It is important for the umbilical cord to be tied and cut immediately after birth. At this point, the infant is said to be "on its own" as far as food and water supplies are concerned, since these substances are not anymore obtainable from the placenta; the infant now has to take them by mouth.

Mother's milk is the normal food of infants. In fact, pediatricians and dietitians recommend that infants receive only breast milk for the first four to six months. For infants, breast milk is considered an excellent food, as it contains the proper kinds and right proportions of proteins, carbohydrates, fatty acids, lactose, water, trace minerals, vitamins, amino acids, and almost all of the required salts.

Known for having at least a hundred ingredients which even an infant formula cannot provide (some of the ingredients are in fact not possible to replicate), breast milk aids in maintaining the normal functioning of the immune system. It also helps in protecting infants against such disorders as diarrhea, allergies, rashes, and certain infections, as those of the ear, respiratory system, and urinary tract. Breast milk is likewise known to help in tooth development and in improving response to vaccines.

But inspite of all these qualities, breast milk is still deficient in some respects. Unless the infant's breast milk diet is supplemented rather early, dietary deficiencies may develop in infants even before the time of weaning. As a matter of fact, the same pediatricians and dietitians aver that infants may continue receiving breast milk well into their second year of life but only with additional foods.

Being low in iron content is the most notable deficiency in breast milk. Inasmuch as red blood cells are continually destroyed in both infants and adults, and since iron is absolutely necessary for the production of the hemoglobin (iron-containing respiratory pigments) in the red cells replacing those that are normally destroyed in the natural body processes, a sufficient source of iron must be available to the highly-active red bone marrow.

The embryo stores iron in the liver during its intrauterine life provided however that the mother's iron intake is sufficient. In early infancy, these iron reserves provide the requirements of the bone marrow. But unless some rich source of iron is soon added to the iron-deficient breast milk diet, a severe anemia will develop in the infant. Most pediatricians say that egg yolk is the best source of iron for infants; this must be added to the infant's diet at about four months of age.

While breast milk is known to contain both vitamins C and D, in some instances these are inadequate for the needs of growing infants. It is recommended that at one month old, the infant's diet must be supplemented with tomato or orange juice (for vitamin C) and cod-liver oil (for vitamin D).