Nutrient Adequacy Of Exclusive Breastfeeding For The Term Infant During The First Six Months Of Life

This review evaluates the nutrient adequacy of exclusive breastfeeding for term infants during the first 6 months of life.

The Model Chapter on Infant and Young Child Feeding is intended for use in basic training of health professionals. It describes essential knowledge and basic skills that every health professional who works with mothers and young children should master. The Model Chapter can be used by teachers and students as a complement to textbooks or as a concise reference manual.

WHO and UNICEF jointly developed this global strategy to focus world attention on the impact that feeding practices have on the nutritional status, growth and development, health, and thus the very survival of infants and young children. The strategy is the result of a comprehensive two-year participatory process. It is based on the evidence of nutrition's significance in the early months and years of life, and of the crucial role that appropriate feeding practices play in achieving optimal health outcomes. The strategy is intended as a guide for action; it identifies interventions with a proven positive impact; it emphasizes providing mothers and families the support they need to carry out their crucial roles, and it explicitly defines the obligations and responsibilities in this regards of governments, international organizations, and other concerned parties.

In many parts of the world, deficiencies in vitamins, minerals and trace elements during the early months of life have dramatic consequences on the health and development of infants and young children. The nutritional status of the mother greatly influences breast-milk micronutrient levels and hence the nutritional status of the infant. This publication, written by leading investigators and clinicians, offers an up-to-date review of micronutrient requirements and the assessment of micronutrient status of mothers and young infants, followed by the epidemiology and health consequences of micronutrient deficiencies. It also includes different prophylactic and therapeutic approaches, such as the most recent research on both single and multiple micronutrient interventions during pregnancy, lactation and early infancy. This publication will be of great assistance to pediatricians, clinical investigators, health workers and nutritionists engaged in the prevention and treatment of micronutrient deficiencies.

Recommendations for feeding infants and young children have changed substantially over time owing to scientific advances, cultural influences, societal trends, and other factors. At the same time, stronger approaches to reviewing and synthesizing scientific evidence have evolved, such that there are now established protocols for developing evidence-based health recommendations. However, not all authoritative bodies have used such approaches for developing infant feeding guidance, and for many feeding questions there is little or no sound evidence available to guide best practices, despite the fact that research on infant and young child feeding has expanded in recent decades. Summarizing the current landscape of feeding recommendations for infants and young children can reveal the level of consistency of existing guidance, shed light on the types of evidence that underpin each recommendation, and provide insight into the feasibility of harmonizing guidelines. Feeding Infants and Children from Birth to 24 Months collects, compares, and summarizes existing recommendations on what and how to feed infants and young children from birth to 24 months of age. This report makes recommendations to stakeholders on strategies for communicating and disseminating feeding recommendations.

Improving clinicians' understanding of effects nutrition can have on maternal health and fetal and neonatal development can have considerable impact on achieving a healthy pregnancy and reducing childhood morbidity. This book defines the nutritional requirements with regard to each stage of fetal development and growth, placing scientific developments into a clinical context. Clinicians and scientists discuss: how the fetus grows and what macro- and micronutrients it requires; what happens when there is nutrient deficiency and when placental development is abnormal; aspects of infant feeding, both with breast milk and formula milk. Specific problems encountered in pregnancy that pose a nutritional challenge are also considered, including pregnancy in teenagers, multiple pregnancies and pregnancy in those who are vegetarians or vegans. All doctors, health-care workers or scientists who either care for women, their newborn and growing infants, or who are involved in research in these areas, will find this to be essential reading.

A revolutionary look at infant nourishment for every family, regardless of whether you feed your baby with breast milk, formula, or both, from the founders of the Fed Is Best Foundation For babies, like for all living things, being fed is best. But the current stringent focus on exclusive breastfeeding is putting some babies at risk by depriving parents of a full understanding of how to tell when breastfeeding alone doesn’t provide enough—and what to do about it. Fed Is Best provides a clear-eyed look at the current messaging and latest scientific research around breastfeeding and formula feeding, to help parents make informed choices about how to best feed their baby based on their individual circumstances. This eye-opening critique and practical, judgment-free guide: Breaks down the dangers of insufficient feeding in infants—and how to recognize and prevent them Reveals myths around colostrum, other aspects of breastfeeding, and the expectation that nearly all mothers will produce all the milk their baby needs as long as they follow current guidelines Provides detailed guidance on how to ensure your baby is getting enough to eat, particularly in those crucial first few days after birth Destigmatizes supplementation, a practice employed throughout human history to protect infants when their mother’s milk wasn’t enough—and shares strategies that encourage continued breastfeeding Details what parents need to know about breastfeeding, combination feeding, and pumped milk feeding with sample schedules to help maintain milk supply and help parents get more sleep Provides inclusive, evidence-based guidance on formula and bottle feeding that has been shown to improve infant health outcomes Emphasizes the importance of mental health as a key consideration when finding your best infant feeding method Let Fed Is Best help you find the feeding method that’s right for you and your baby.