Benefits of breast milk in preventing micronutrient deficiencies in children

Breast milk is the best and most complete source of nutrition because the nutritional composition of breast milk is just enough for the recommended daily needs of the baby.

Breast milk contains all the nutrients such as protein, glucid, lipid, vitamins and minerals. These substances have appropriate proportions and are easily absorbed, thus ensuring the nutritional needs of the child to develop normally in the first 6 months. When the mother has a reasonable and adequate diet, the amount of micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals in breast milk will ensure adequate micronutrient status for the child.

Vitamins are found in vegetables but cannot be replaced by breast milk.

Vitamin A deficiency in children in our country is currently mainly preclinical, detected when the serum retinol level is below 0.7 umol/liter. Newborns have vitamin A stored in the liver and this amount depends on the nutritional status of the mother during pregnancy. After birth, the child's need for vitamin A increases due to the depletion of the vitamin A reserve and needs to be supplemented because in children under one year old, the daily vitamin A requirement is about 350 - 500 mcg/day. The source of vitamin A in breast milk can ensure the vitamin A needs for children who are exclusively breastfed for at least the first 6 months (breast milk contains about 400 - 700 mcg/liter of vitamin A).

Several studies have demonstrated that even in poorly nourished mothers (in areas with limited food availability), high-dose vitamin A supplementation 24 hours after birth helps maintain vitamin A (retinol) levels in breast milk for 4-6 months after birth in exclusively breastfed infants. Therefore, promoting breastfeeding to prevent vitamin A deficiency in children is essential and this promotion should be combined with vaccination campaigns or micronutrient days for children.

Breastfeeding can ensure the amount of calcium for children because although the amount in breast milk is small, it is easy to absorb. In addition, the phosphorus and vitamin D content in breast milk has a more appropriate ratio and content than formula milk, so breastfed children have a lower risk of rickets than children fed with formula milk. The amount of iron in breast milk is low, only about 0.3 mg/liter. However, this amount of iron is still enough for the recommended needs for children from 4 to 6 months old because the biological value of iron in breast milk is higher because it binds directly to lactoferrin - an iron-binding protein in breast milk. Therefore, children fed with cow's milk may not receive enough iron and are often anemic; children who are breastfed in the first months receive enough iron and will reduce the risk of anemia. Other micronutrients such as vitamin C, minerals such as zinc, copper also have a sufficient content in breast milk, which can ensure the reasonable growth and development of children.

Medical staff instruct postpartum mothers on how to breastfeed.

The key to successful breastfeeding, in addition to exclusively breastfeeding, is nutrition for the nursing mother to maintain the nutrient content of the milk.

During the first six months, mothers should eat a variety of foods (15-20 foods combined from 4 food groups) to have enough milk of good quality to feed their babies.

In addition to adding more energy to the daily diet, increase about 500 - 600 Kcal/day including all four groups of nutrients: protein - including animal protein and vegetable protein, starch (glucid) and fat. The balanced ratio between those energy-producing components is about: P:L:G = 12 - 15% : 20 - 25% : 60 - 65%. Animal proteins (meat, fish, eggs, milk) are abundant sources of vitamin A and iron to help meet the necessary needs of these micronutrients for mothers; seafood such as oysters and crabs are foods rich in zinc.

Children who are exclusively breastfed avoid many diseases.

In addition, adding fruits and vegetables is very important because it can provide essential micronutrients to breast milk (fruits rich in Carotene such as mango, papaya, carrots; fruits rich in vitamin C such as oranges, tangerines, grapefruit; and some green leafy vegetables have a fairly high iron content and are rich in folic acid such as broccoli, watercress, etc.). In addition, you should pay attention to daily water intake (2 liters) because water is the main ingredient that makes up breast milk. You can drink filtered water, fruit juice, milk, vegetable juice.

Although breast milk is the most perfect nutritional formula for babies in the first 6 months of life, currently in Vietnam only 19.6% of women exclusively breastfeed their babies during this important period; this rate is much lower than the world average (35%) (source: UNICEF). Therefore, the breastfeeding program is part of the responsibility of society and the whole community. The support of family and community is really important and useful to help mothers to breastfeed their babies with their own milk.

According to Viendinhduong.vn