Precautions during breast feeding
1. The majority of mothers can breast feed their babies if they have proper care. The baby should be put to both breasts for some time twice during the first 24 hours. The baby will get no real milk but colostrum for a few days which is equally good and of the same composition as human milk. A Lanolin applied to the nipples may prevent and also help sore nipples. The baby should not be allowed to over feed during the first three days.
2. The mother’s diet during the feeding should be nearly the same as when pregnant except that she will need more fluids and perhaps more whole grain cereals. Besides this, she must have fresh air, sunshine and rest.
3. Nervousness in a mother who is breast feeding her infant is considered by many doctors to be a factor that reduces milk production. This condition will return to normal again when the mother has overcome her nervousness.
4. Use of medicines during breast feeding.
Medicines should be used conservatively and cautiously during the time of breast feeding because most of the drugs are secreted into the breast milk and can prove dangerous for the nursing infants. Most medicines administered to lactating woman are detectable in breast milk. If the nursing mothers must take medication and the medicine is a relatively safe one, one should take it 30 to 60 minutes after nursing and 2-3 hours before the next feeding. Drug use by nursing mother’s should be avoided if possible, especially the drugs whose effects on the infants have not been studied so far. Some of the drugs like diaphragm, heroin, iodine, lithium, methadone, bromocriptifle, steroids, tetracyclines chloramphenicol etc., have significant side-effects on the baby, which also sometimes can prove fatal.
HUMAN MILK VS COW MILK
COMPOSITION OF HUMAN MILK, COW MILK
AND HUMAN COLOSTRUM
| Constitutent Gm/100 Human | Human | Cows | |
| gm | Milk | Colostrum | Milk |
Water 88 87 88
Protein 1.1 2.7 3.3
Casein 0.4 1.2 2.7
Lactalbumin 0.4
Lactoglobulin 0.2 1.5 0.2
Fat 3.8 3.8 2.9
% Polyunsaturated 8.0 7.0 2.0
Lactose 7.0 5.3 4.8
Ash 0.2 0.5 0.8
Vitamin (Liter):
Vitamin A (IU)* 1898 1025
Niacihn (ug) 1470 940
Vitamin C(mg) 43 11
VitaminDç[TJ) 22 14
WHY BREAST FEEDING IS BEST FEEDING
The principal reasons for favoring breast feeding are the following:-
1. Breast feeding is especially adapted to the nutritional requirements of the human infant.
Since it comes directly from mother’s breast to baby, it is fresh and free from any infection.
2. Breast milk contains antibodies that protect the child from disease during the early weeks of life.
3. Intimate contact between mother and child provides an emotional security for the child giving a favorable start in personality development.
4. It is clear from the table that mother milk is biochemically, metabolically, nutritionally and immunologically well composed for the infants.
5. Especially the yellowish liquid (Colostrum) which appears for the first two or three days after birth helps to protect the baby against common infection.
As compared to cow’s milk mother’s milk is more easily digested by the infants. The biochemical analysis of human milk, cow milk and human colostrum has been given in the table. It clearly indicates the superiority of human milk in every respect.
BREAST-FEEDING REDUCES CHILD MORTALITY
It has been observed by the nutritionists and health professionals that one of the main causes of malnutrition and death in the children is the decline in habitual practice of breast feeding and too early substitution for, or supplementation of breast milk by infant formula (powdered milk) and other feeds. A baby under the age of 6 months who is bottle fed or on infant formula is approximately three times as likely to fall ill and three times as likely to die than a baby who is breast fed.
Breast feeding is a unique biological, social and emotional basis of child development and also form the basis for its mature personality and health adjustment to society.
Psychologically a mother feels a real satisfaction to breast feed her own child. The children learn faster in the first months of their life. At first a baby’s eyes focus to bent on objects about 30 cm away. This is the distance between the face of baby and the mother when she feeds or cuddles him in her arms. The experience of breast feeding means more than just supplying a small persons stomach with needed nourishment. The smell and taste, the cuddling and warmth the site of the face and sound of her voice all build up the concept of mother in baby’s brain.
Carelessness Causes Kids Suffering
THE POISONS:
Poison is any substance solid, liquid ar gas which when taken into the body in sufficient amount may damage health or even destroy life. It may be taken either accidentally or intentionally.
THROUGH LUNGS:
Breathing poisoning gases fumes.
BY THE MOUTH:
Swallowing drugs and other fluids.
BY INJUNCTION:
Under the skin.
BY ABSORPTION:
Through he skin.
INCIDENCE AND CAUSES
The peak incidence of accidental home poisoning in kids is between the age of one and five years. After five years of age the kids become more discriminative and selective about what they swallow. Drugs account for at least more than 50% of the cases while house hold products for 46%.
DRUGS:
The most important factors in a etiology besides the age of the patient and social class are abundance of drugs and household chemicals in our homes, none of them in kid proof containers, inappropriate storage and lack of supervision.
LACK OF EDUCATION:
Poisoning occurs in the poorer section of the society who are illiterate and live in poor over-crowded dwellings. Mothers had little knowledge of the toxicity of drugs and common household chemicals. In this milieu drugs and domestic products are deposited inappropriately in all cases. Even when they are kept in cabinets or containers they are not locked or covered.
LACK OF SUPERVISION:
The peak hour of poisoning are between 10 A.M. and 4.00 P.M. when the mother is usually very busy and doing household chores, working in the kitchen, attending a baby or to herself, entertaining guests or asleep.
FIRST AID AND TREATMENT:
The plan of first aid procedure is different in each of the three general types of Poisoning as indicated below:
POISONING BY INHALATION:
Remove the victim from the room or area in which he has inhaled the poison gas (such as carbon monoxide) and administer artificial respiration necessary to keep the victim breathing. Call a doctor or shift the patient to the hospital.
BY SKIN:
This includes poisoning by snakebite or by the sting of an insect. Place a constricting band (necktie or bandage) around the leg or arm in which the injection was made and about two inches above the site of injection. The band should be snug but not so tight as to cut off blood circulation in the deeper vessels. The purpose of the band is to reduce the spread of the poison through the superficial tissues. For further management immediately call a doctor or take the patient to the hospital.
POISONING BY MOUTH:
Unless the child has swallowed Kerosene, Corrosive acid or strong Alkali or Drugs, he should immediately be made to vomit by inserting a finger deep down his throat. If lips and mouth show signs of burns, give quantities of water, milk or barley water to dilute the poison. If kid is unconscious and breathing has ceased, commence artificial respiration immediately. This may have to be continued until hospital treatment can be given, as part of the breathing mechanism has been disturbed by the poison. Remove the casualty (kid) to hospital quickly as soon as possible.
TO INDUCE VOMITING:
Give the victim three or four glasses of milk, then turn the child face downward with head a little lower than the hips and gag by inserting the index finger past the tongue into the throat. Protect finger against being bitten by pinching the victim’s cheeks between the teeth. The advantage of using milk is that it has the effect of neutralizing some poisons. Also, milk or any other fluid in the stomach will dilute the poison and provide a means of rinsing the stomach’s lining at the time of vomiting. The reason for placing the victim’s face downward with head lower than hips is to keep vomits from entering the lungs.
PREVENTION
The following is a list of precautionary measures, which when adopted and put into effect can practically eliminate all dangers of accidental home poisoning in the kids.
1. Keeping all drugs, poisonous substances, and household chemicals out of the reach of kids. (Remember kids can climb).
2. Do not store non-edible products on shelves used for storing food.
3. Keep all poisonous substances in their original containers; don’t transfer to unlabelled containers.
4. When medicines are discarded, destroy them. Don’t throw them where they may be reached by kids or pets. Flush them down the toilet.
5. When giving flavored or brightly colored medicine to “kids”, always refer to it as medicine never as candy.
6. Do not give or take medicine in the dark.
7. Read labels before using chemical products.
8. Long term preventive measures include improved housing and socio-economic status of social class most affected.
9. Health education is very important in the prevention of poisoning. Educating the public through the mass media is also effective.
Continuous and attractive reminders through radio, television and newspapers would create public awareness which will in time reach the poorer and illiterate section of the society as well.
MESSAGE
Whatever method is used, message is simple, “Locking up poisons and reducing the accessibility of children to poisonous substances with more supervision of those under five years of age. The aim is to produce a gradual change in parental behaviors and environment rather than restricting children’s activities.”
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