Transcript Fitness & Nutrition

Fitness & Nutrition
The Ideal Food
Infant Feeding
• Proper nutrition is especially important during infancy
because it is a time of rapid growth. A typical infant will
triple his weight during the first year.
• His brain will develop an amazing number of connections,
many of which will last throughout his life.
• He needs the proper balance of fats, proteins,
carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals to support all that
growth.
• During feeding parents give baby the stimulation needed to
produce the hormones needed for brain growth and
development. (Duyff 2002).
What parents need to know…
The ideal food.
Benefits for baby and toddler
• Leading medical authorities, including the American Academy of
Pediatrics (AAP), endorse breast milk as the ideal form of infant
nutrition.
• According to an AAP (2005) policy statement, “Human milk is
uniquely superior for infant feeding and is species-specific; all
substitute feeding options differ markedly from it.”
• Breast milk changes over the weeks and months of feeding according
to each baby’s unique needs. During the first few weeks the milk has
less fat and more protein and minerals. As the infant matures, the
reverse is true. The milk content even changes over the course of
each feeding, containing more fat at the end.
• Substances in breast milk aid in digestion and the absorption of
minerals.
What parents need to know…
The ideal food
• Human milk contains antibodies that help protect infants
against many diseases. Breastfed babies have less
diarrhea, pneumonia, and respiratory tract, inner ear and
urinary tract infections than bottlefed babies
• They appear to have less incidence of sudden infant death
syndrome (SIDS)
• Older children who were breastfed as infants are thought
to have some protection against chronic diseases,
including diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease,
childhood cancers and allergies(AAP, 1997).
• There is evidence that breastfeeding contributes to
intellectual growth (Mortenson 2002) and vision
(Hoffman, 2003).
What parents need to know…
The ideal food
• Research shows breastfeeding provides
some protection against obesity.
• Possibly reasons for why…
– The amount of breast milk produced is
determined by the infant’s demand
– Helps baby self-regulate of food at an early
age.
– Formula fed babies are often overfed
– A substance contained in the breast milk itself.
What parents need to know…
The ideal food
• Breastfeeding has been associated with
reduced incidence of maternal child abuse
and neglect.
• The longer a child is breastfed, the less
likely the abuse.
• Researchers believe breastfeeding
enhances mother-child interaction and
reduces levels of maternal stress.
What parents need to know…
The ideal food
• More effort is required of a baby to breastfeed
than bottlefeed.
• This is thought to contribute to appropriate jaw,
teeth, facial and speech development.
• Breastfeeding can help in acceptance of solid
foods.
• Evidence indicates that breastfed babies become
familiar with the tastes of a variety of foods,
since the flavors of foods their mothers eat pass
into the milk.
• Breast milk contains enzymes which help digest
the fats, proteins and starch in solid foods.
What parents need to know…
The ideal food.
Benefits for mother
• Women who breastfeed experience reduced rates
of breast and ovarian cancer and evidence that
they are less prone to osteoporosis (AAP, 2005).
• Breastfeeding increases the levels of oxytocin, a
hormone that stimulates the contraction of uterine
muscles, leading to less postpartum bleeding
• Nursing mothers are able to return to their prepregnancy weight earlier and more easily than
non-nursing mothers.
• Breastmilk is convenient, sterile and the proper
temperature.
What parents need to know…
The ideal food.
Benefits for mother
• Breastfeeding is environmentally friendly
because there is not packaging to dispose
of or use of energy in its production and
preparation.
• Breastfeeding saves money, not only
because it is free of charge, but in
healthcare costs as well.
What parents need to know…
Special considerations
• Women who have HIV/AIDS, some forms of
hepatitis, active untreated tuberculosis, or who
use illegal drugs should not breastfeed.
Chemotherapy and some forms of prescribed
drugs may make breastfeeding inadvisable.
Nicotine can be passed on to infants through
breast milk, so nursing mothers should avoid
smoking and exposure to cigarette smoke.
However, if a woman cannot refrain from
smoking, the AAP still recommends
breastfeeding. The amount of nicotine in breast
milk is considered safe and the benefits outwiegh
the risk (AAP 2001)
What parents need to know…
Some parents choose bottle feeding
• Despite strong evidence of the benefits of
breastfeeding, some parents choose to bottle feed
instead.
• Mothers who choose to use formula should be
aware that it is important to follow the directions
exactly when preparing it.
• Over-diluted formula saves money, but it does
not get the needed nutrients and calories to the
infant.
• Whether breast or bottle fed, it is best to feed
young infants on demand.
• Parents should never force infants to finish a
bottle.
Parents as Teachers
is in Rice County
to provide information, support and
encouragement, parents need to help their
children develop optimally during the
crucial early years of life.
For more information call us at
620.257.5293 or
toll free at 1-877-808-9639