BREASTMILK

Breast milk is widely acknowledged as the most complete form of nutrition for infants, with a range of benefits for infants' health, growth, immunity and development.
-- Healthy People 2010, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia

One of the most important concerns for working moms today is how to feed their infants. Many health experts agree that breastfeeding is the ideal way, for optimum nutrition. Specifically, the American Dietetic Association (ADA) recommends that babies be breastfed exclusively for the first six months and then breastfed with complementary foods for at least twelve months.
Studies have demonstrated over the years that breastfeeding has many benefits both for the baby as well as the mother.

Benefits for the infants :

• Breast milk is the most complete form of nutrition for infants. A mother's milk has just the right amount of fat, sugar, water, and protein that is needed for a baby's growth and development. Most babies find it easier to digest breast milk than they do formula.

• A baby is at lower risk for the following health problems: ear infections, stomach viruses, diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, respiratory infections, atopic dermatitis, asthma, obesity, type 1 and 2 diabetes, childhood leukemia, allergies, colic, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and some gastrointestinal diseases.
• Decreased risk of tooth decay. Children have fewer cavities if they are breastfed as infants.
• Promotes healthy growth. Breastfeeding promotes the development of the facial structure, improves speech, straightens teeth, and strengthens vision.
• Internal development. By internal, I mean emotionally and spiritually; a baby who is breastfed develops more strongly in these areas.
• Acquired antibodies. Breast milk contains antibodies (that come from the mother) that baby’s benefit from. If the baby doesn’t have those antibodies, they are more susceptible to certain infections and diseases.
• Colostrum benefits. Colostrum is the first milk that a woman produces when breastfeeding; it coats the gastrointestinal tract, providing a shield against some bacteria. Colostrum also acts as a natural laxative so it can help clear the baby’s intestines of bacteria and other things.
• Easier to digest. For most babies, the proteins in breast milk are easier to digest than formula, which comes from cow’s milk.
• Entering the real world peacefully. Breastfeeding provides a nice transition to an infant as they are entering a whole new world.

Benefits of breastfeeding for the mothers:

• Nursing uses up extra calories, making it easier to lose the pounds of pregnancy. It also helps the uterus to get back to its original size and lessens any bleeding a woman may have after giving birth.
• Breastfeeding, especially exclusive breastfeeding delays the return of normal ovulation and menstrual cycles.
• Breastfeeding lowers the risk of breast and ovarian cancers, and possibly the risk of hip fractures and osteoporosis after menopause.
• Breastfeeding makes your life easier. It saves time and money. You do not have to purchase, measure, and mix formula. There are no bottles to warm in the middle of the night!
• A mother can give her baby immediate satisfaction by providing her breast milk when her baby is hungry.
• Breastfeeding requires a mother to take some quiet relaxed time for herself and her baby.
•  Breastfeeding can help a mother to bond with her baby. Physical contact is important to newborns and can help them feel more secure, warm and comforted.
• Breastfeeding mothers may have increased self-confidence and feelings of closeness and bonding with their infants

Method to ensure feeding Pump it at work- In order to feed your baby your fresh milk you can visit the day care center in your lunch time and feed them there. If this is not possible then you can pump your milk at work and save that in a bottle. You can always save the breast pumped milk for a day.You can send that to your baby’s day care center and ensure his feeding.
Planning for feeding schedule- if milk feeding in day care centre is not possible then plan your timing as soon as you reach home after work. You can feed your baby once you get back home and the other time before leaving your home for work.

Why pumping?

Pumping is the best way to get rid of stale milk. Moreover this process also helps in the circulation of the milk through your body so that you can produce more milk. The massage also helps in stimulating your breast help in more milk to spurt out. Many times your nipples get clogged and also ache while passing the milk. Pumping maintain the flow of your milk and its also prevent the clogging of your nipple so that your baby can enjoy your milk and get the nourishment which he requires.

FOLATE (Folic Acid)

Folate and folic acid are forms of a water-soluble B vitamin. Folate occurs naturally in food and folic acid is the synthetic form of this vitamin. Folic acid is well-tolerated in amounts found in fortified foods and supplements.
Folate helps produce and maintain new cells. This is especially important during periods of rapid cell division and growth such as infancy and pregnancy. Folate is needed to make DNA and RNA, the building blocks of cells. It also helps prevent changes to DNA that may lead to cancer. Both adults and children need folate to make normal red blood cells and prevent anemia. Folate is also essential for the metabolism of homo cysteine, and helps maintain normal levels of this amino acid.

What foods provide folate?

Leafy green vegetables (like spinach and turnip greens), fruits (like citrus fruits and juices), and dried beans and peas are all natural sources of folate.

In 1996, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published regulations requiring the addition of folic acid to enriched breads, cereals, flours, corn meals, pastas, rice, and other grain products. Since cereals and grains are widely consumed in the U.S., these products have become a very important contributor of folic acid to the American diet. The following table suggests a variety of dietary sources of folate.

Table 1: Selected Food Sources of Folate and Folic Acid

Food	Micrograms (μg)	% DV^
*Breakfast cereals fortified with 100% of the DV, ¾ cup	400	100
Beef liver, cooked, braised, 3 ounces	185	45
Cowpeas (blackeyes), immature, cooked, boiled, ½ cup	105	25
*Breakfast cereals, fortified with 25% of the DV, ¾ cup	100	25
Spinach, frozen, cooked, boiled, ½ cup	100	25
Great Northern beans, boiled, ½ cup	90	20
Asparagus, boiled, 4 spears	85	20
*Rice, white, long-grain, parboiled, enriched, cooked, ½ cup	65	15
Vegetarian baked beans, canned, 1 cup	60	15
Spinach, raw, 1 cup	60	15
Green peas, frozen, boiled, ½ cup	50	15
Broccoli, chopped, frozen, cooked, ½ cup	50	15
*Egg noodles, cooked, enriched, ½ cup	50	15
Broccoli, raw, 2 spears (each 5 inches long)	45	10
Avocado, raw, all varieties, sliced, ½ cup sliced	45	10
Peanuts, all types, dry roasted, 1 ounce	40	10
Lettuce, Romaine, shredded, ½ cup	40	10
Wheat germ, crude, 2 Tablespoons	40	10
Tomato Juice, canned, 6 ounces	35	10
Orange juice, chilled, includes concentrate, ¾ cup	35	10
Turnip greens, frozen, cooked, boiled, ½ cup	30	8
Orange, all commercial varieties, fresh, 1 small	30	8
*Bread, white, 1 slice	25	6
*Bread, whole wheat, 1 slice	25	6
Egg, whole, raw, fresh, 1 large	25	6
Cantaloupe, raw, ¼ medium	25	6
Papaya, raw, ½ cup cubes	25	6
Banana, raw, 1 medium	20	6

* Items marked with an asterisk (*) are fortified with folic acid as part of the Folate Fortification Program.

^ DV = Daily Value. DVs are reference numbers developed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to help consumers determine if a food contains a lot or a little of a specific nutrient. The DV for folate is 400 micrograms (μg). Most food labels do not list a food's magnesium content. The percent DV (%DV) listed on the table indicates the percentage of the DV provided in one serving. A food providing 5% of the DV or less is a low source while a food that provides 10-19% of the DV is a good source. A food that provides 20% or more of the DV is high in that nutrient. It is important to remember that foods that provide lower percentages of the DV also contribute to a healthful diet. For foods not listed in this table, please refer to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Nutrient Database Web site: http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/cgi-bin/nut_search.pl.

Do women of childbearing age and pregnant women have a special need for folate?

Folic acid is very important for all women who may become pregnant. Adequate folate intake during the periconceptual period, the time just before and just after a woman becomes pregnant, protects against neural tube defects. Neural tube defects result in malformations of the spine (spina bifida), skull, and brain (anencephaly). The risk of neural tube defects is significantly reduced when supplemental folic acid is consumed in addition to a healthful diet prior to and during the first month following conception. Since January 1, 1998, when the folate food fortification program took effect, data suggest that there has been a significant reduction in neural tube birth defects. Women who could become pregnant are advised to eat foods fortified with folic acid or take a folic acid supplement in addition to eating folate-rich foods to reduce the risk of some serious birth defects. For this population, researchers recommend a daily intake of 400 μg of synthetic folic acid per day from fortified foods and/or dietary supplements.

FOOD ALLERGY PREVENTION BEGINS IN THE WOMB

  SUMMARY

A new study shows that there may be a link to peanut ingestion in pregnant mothers and peanut allergy in their children. Dr. Scott Sicherer of the Jaffe Food Allergy Institute recently released the results of this study. U.S. researchers looked at 503 infants, aged 3 months to 15 months, with suspected egg or milk allergies, or with the skin disorder eczema and positive allergy tests to milk or egg. These factors are associated with increased risk of peanut allergy, but none of the infants in the study had been diagnosed with peanut allergy. They were tested for the presence of antibodies in the blood, which would suggest an allergy to peanuts. To consolidate the data, their mothers were questioned about their peanut consumption during pregnancy.

Blood tests revealed that 140 of the infants had strong sensitivity to peanuts. Mothers' consumption of peanuts during pregnancy was a strong predictor of peanut sensitivity in the infants. Dr. Scott Sicherer concludes that while the study does not definitively indicate that pregnant women should not eat peanut products during pregnancy, it highlights the need for further research in order to make recommendations about dietary restrictions. 
IMPACT

Peanut reactions can be very severe, even with extremely small amounts of exposure. This might be because the immune system recognizes peanut proteins easier than other food proteins. Peanut allergies in children have increased two-fold over a five year period from 1997 to 2002, according to a study in the December Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (JACI). Peanuts are the leading cause of severe food allergic reactions that affects approximately three million Americans, or 1.1 percent of the population. It is further estimated that around 100 to 150 people in USA die each year from peanut allergies.

These types of statistics are frightening for those of us with peanut allergic children! Research has determined that only up to 20% will actually outgrow the allergy by school age.

These findings add information to an area of science that has received quite ambiguous information in the last decade. This study adds another twist to the back-and-forth recommendations offered by the American Academy of Pediatrics. In 2000, the Academy advised that women whose infants were at risk of allergies based on their family history avoid peanuts while pregnant and breastfeeding. However, in 2008, due to limited supporting evidence, this recommendation was withdrawn. Studies such as this one on peanut consumption during pregnancy help identify potential risk factors, and therefore present an opportunity for risk reduction.

C   CREDIBILITY/ACCURACY

 This article is credible and accurate as it was published in the November 2010 issue of Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

An official publication of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology brings timely clinical papers, instructive case reports, and detailed examinations of state-of-the-art equipment and techniques to clinical allergists, immunologists, dermatologists, internists, and other physicians concerned with clinical manifestations of allergies in their practice. The journal ranks 1st of 21 in the Allergy category and ranked 8th of 128 in the Immunology category on the 2010 Journal Citation Reports.

Study leader Dr. Scott H. Sicherer is a professor of pediatrics at the Jaffe Food Allergy Institute at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and specializes in food allergy.