Mother’s milk is best for the baby and the benefits of breast feeding are well-established. Breast milk is natural, easy to digest and is the gold standard for infant nutrition. It contains the right balance of nutrients that baby needs and helps boost your baby’s immunity. However, under certain circumstances you may need to consider formula feed.
Exclusive breastfeeding is typically recommended for the first 6 months to be continued atleast for 1 year in combination with solid foods. Breast milk is sterile and does not require boiling, and therefore retains the goodness of its nutrients. It also prevents infections common in formula fed babies due to poor hygiene and unsafe feeding practices. According to experts from the National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, significant compromise is made on infant’s health, as mother’s milk is substituted for formula milk due to various reasons in the first year of life when they are most vulnerable to infections.
A recent study reported that only 69 percent of Indians below two months get exclusive breastfeeding and between 2 and 3 months, exclusive breastfeeding falls to 51% and declines further to 28% between 4 and 5 months of age.
Besides optimal nutrition of carbohydrates (lactose), proteins, fats, iron and calcium, mother’s milk provides special immuno-boosting IgA and IgB factors not found in formula milk. These are believed to have life-long protective benefits on immunity.
Infact, infant feeding practices have been found to impact several immunological conditions including celiac disease. Celiac disease is a condition where an individual is intolerant to gluten for life. Gluten is a protein found in cereals like wheat, oats, barley, rye and some others. An individual with this condition has to avoid these grains lifelong. Eating foods with gluten causes an immune reaction in the small intestines that can damage the lining of the intestines and lower absorption of essential nutrients leading to mal-absorption and nutritional deficiencies.
A Swedish population study has revealed the relationship between infant feeding practices and Celiac disease. A three fold increase in Celiac disease was seen among infants from mid 1980s to mid 1990s-an unprecedented epidemic among children under the age of two.