The Composition and Benefits of Breast Milk

When a woman becomes pregnant, her body not only prepares to hold and nourish the growing fetus, but also prepares a way to nourish the infant after it's born. The mother's breast milk can be the sole source of the infant's diet for up to six months. Human milk is composed of many different nutrients and non nutrients for the infant. Not only does it have the right kinds and amounts of nutrients that the baby needs but it also provides protection from harmful diseases. The majority of studies show that breastmilk compared to cow's milk or Human Milk Substitute (HMS) is the best option for most mothers to choose for their babies. We'll discuss the composition of human milk, the benefits of breastfeeding for mother and child and what type of diet the mother should have while lactating.

When the child is born, the "first" milk that is produced is called colostrum. This thicker milk is only produced for the first couple of days, but it contains great benefits for baby. It is higher in proteins and it has a large amount of mononuclear cells, which are a type of white blood cell, used in the immune system. These added white blood cells give the infant protection while its immune system gets a chance to fully develop.

Around two weeks after birth, the breast milk being produced is now called mature milk. The majority of milk is water, which makes it possible for the newborn to stay hydrated even in a very hot climate. The next largest component of breast milk, making up 6-9% of its composition, is carbohydrates, which is mostly comprised of lactose. Human milk has the right amount of many different nutrients the infant needs. Other carbohydrates, such as oligosaccharides, stimulate the growth of certain bacteria in the gastro-intestinal tract which stop the growth of harmful bacteria there. Lipids provide half of the calories of human milk, yet only make up 3-5% of breast milk's composition. Docohexanoic Acid (DHA) is one of the recent lipids to be studied in breast milk. DHA is very important for growth and development of the child's eyes. The protein amounts in breast milk are only 1% of the composition of breast milk. Proteins are one of the nutrients that vary the most with the age of the infant. Colostrum has the most protein and then the amount decreases by 50% with mature milk.

Breast milk also contains fat soluble and water soluble vitamins as well as minerals. Most of the needed amounts of vitamins are in the milk. There are some exceptions, such as vitamin D where sunshine is also needed. In certain locations with limited sunlight, such as locations above 55 degrees latitude, vitamin D supplements may need to be taken by the infant. Also, the minerals in the mother's milk are packaged in such a way that makes them very bioavailable. With the increased bioavailability of the minerals, this reduces the burden to the mother because less of the mineral is needed in the milk. This helps prevent the mother from becoming mineral deficient, because not as many minerals are required from her.

There are many benefits for both mother and infant with breastfeeding. One of benefits of breastfeeding is the bond that the mother creates with her child. Breastfeeding also releases the hormone oxytocin which causes the mother's uterus to contract. This may prevent some postpartum blood loss as well as reduce the uterus to the pre-pregnancy size. The mother may also feel a boost in self-confidence with returning to a pre-pregnancy weight, although weight loss is not always associated with breastfeeding. Also, breastfeeding has been shown to give the mother a lower risk for breast cancer, especially those mothers who breastfeed their first newborn.

Infants on the receiving end of breastfeeding also have a large list of benefits that they receive. As discussed earlier, human milk is the best choice for infants. It has the best match for amount and types of nutrients that the baby needs. It is also easily digestible and the minerals are very bioavailable. Within the breast milk are white blood cells that can attack dangerous bacteria. There are secretory immunoglobins that protect the baby from pathogens trying to grow and colonize within their digestive system. The immune benefits in the mother's milk may have some health benefits which can have even a long lasting effect on the child. "Breastfeeding is considered to be the most effective preventive means of reducing the death rate of children under five." "Improving breastfeeding practices could save approximately 1.3 million lives annually and continuing breastfeeding with complementary foods could save an additional 600,000."

Breastfeeding has been correlated with a lower rate of illnesses. Things such as ear infections and diarrhea are lower with exclusively breastfed children. Even illnesses such as allergy and asthma are reduced from breastfeeding. Childhood levels of being overweight and breastfeeding, show mixed results in studies. There isn't a clear relationship found with this topic and a large amount of debate surrounds this subject.

A mother's diet needs to be well balanced to support herself and to be able to properly feed her child. Such a diet should include grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy and meat. She should try to have half her grains be whole grains, eat a variety of fruit and varying her protein by trying to include more fish, beans, and nuts. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends using a diet plan from MyPyramid to provide a healthy diet. It's important to get enough calories because milk production during the first six months takes an additional 620 calories per day. If a mother has a diet poor in protein or calories, usually the composition of the milk will stay the same but the quantity of milk will be reduced. In regards to breast milk, it is quality over quantity. The things that the mother eats will affect the milk. Eating certain foods will change the taste of the breast milk such as foods like garlic and onions. High amounts of trans-fatty acid in a mother's diet will also appear in her milk.

Women can feel free to increase their energy expenditure through exercising. With an increase of exercise, they will also need to increase their energy intake to compensate for the calorie loss. Moderate to intense exercise will not deter the infant from accepting the breast milk based on the fact of increased lactic acid levels in the milk.

We've discussed the composition of human milk, the benefits for both the child and mother from breastfeeding and what type of diet the mother should have while lactating. Researchers continue to declare that breastmilk has many advantages over HMS. It is simply amazing how the mother's body has such an excellent way to feed its offspring through breastfeeding.