Text: Amanda Ndlangisa. Pictures: Getty Images. Article from the July 2012 issue of Bona Magazine.
Breastfeeding has long been recognised as a proven disease prevention strategy. But did you know it can also play a role in preventing childhood obesity
According to Philips AVENT breastfeeding expert, Dr Diana du Plessis, breastfeeding has been known to be crucial for infant survival and offers benefits for mothers and babies.
Babies who are breastfed through the first year of life have fewer illnesses and a lower chance of death and serious illness. Even in times where babies have been fed other first foods, breastfed babies are recognised as healthier and more likely to survive.
Feeding an infant solid food before four months of age increases the baby’s risk of becoming obese by their toddler years. Some mothers feel that they should rush to move babies on to solids, but it’s easier and more natural to go at the baby’s own pace. If the baby is at least six months old, and doesn’t seem to be satisfied with milk alone, or perhaps demanding extra feeds at night, it’s probably time to try her on her first food, not sooner.
At this stage she’s not eating to get full; she is just trying different tastes and textures. This, however, is a problem in many cultures as grannies insist that babies be fed cereal or maize from the age of six weeks. Many people also believe that a fat baby is a healthy baby and will feed her more than she actually needs.
The belief that starting solids will help the baby sleep better motivates many parents to begin solids earlier than they otherwise would. However this belief has no basis and there are many reasons to delay introducing solids until the baby is six months old.
Reasons to delay solids
The baby’s age
The development of a baby’s gut lining and the set of enzymes required to digest solid food takes up to four months to develop. Until this age, the kidneys are not mature enough to cope with solid food, thus most solids are poorly digested and may cause unpleasant reactions. It’s too early to introduce solids if the baby is less than six months old.
Head and neck control
A baby needs to control her head and neck movement while sitting upright in a chair. Until four months, neuromuscular coordination (the coordination between the muscles) is not sufficiently developed to enable the baby to swallow food easily and the presence of the tongue thrust reflex causes the food to be pushed out of the young baby’s mouth rather than in.
A tiny baby has a reflex action which allows suckling, sucking and swallowing, but does not have the ability to move food from the front to the back of the mouth. It’s too early to introduce solids if the baby cannot hold her head up.
Overfeeding
Research has linked early introduction to solids in the diet to obesity, with an increased risk of diabetes and heart disease. It’s too early to introduce solids if the baby is still satisfied by her milk feed for three to four hours.
Ways to avoid overfeeding
- Know when to quit. Babies will stop drinking when they’ve had enough.
- Avoid the temptation to ‘force- feed’. Babies do not have to finish every bottle.
- If the baby falls into a deep sleep near the end of the feeding, but has not finished the bottle, don’t continue feeding her.
- Never allow your baby to sleep with a bottle in her mouth because she will continue sucking despite the fact that she is no longer hungry and due to the risk of choking.
- Do not overfill the bottle. Stick to measurement guidelines.
For mom’s who can’t breastfeed
When confronted with the reality of bottle-feeding, many mothers feel lost and unsure. Choosing the right formula is tricky as there are 45+ different formulas on the South African market.
Breast milk contains two different proteins: whey (60%) and casein (40%). The whey (which is watery) quenches the baby’s thirst, and the casein, also called curd, contains more solids that satisfy the baby’s hunger. Formula milk is designed to mimic this combination.
The following may assist you in the various choices, to avoid using the incorrect formula for your baby’s age:
- Choose a brand appropriate for the baby’s age as a baby’s needs vary according to age.
- Follow instructions carefully and do not dilute or add extra powder to the water.
- Discard left-over milk.
- The formulas should never be changed unnecessarily. Switching formulas too often can cause rather than resolve problems.
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