Artificial feeding

In fact, there are very few contraindications to breastfeeding, but there are many reasons not to breastfeed. 64% of mothers begin breastfeeding, but 52% continue it only for 2 weeks and 39% for 6 weeks. Thus, most mothers prefer artificial feeding both due to insufficient hygienic and medical knowledge, and due to insufficient encouragement in breastfeeding.

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Composition of milk for a newborn

The basis is cow's milk, which is subjected to "humanization" by reducing the soluble substances in it and modifying the content of fat, proteins and vitamins.

For feeding infants, a milk formula close in composition to whey is more suitable than milk rich in protein (casein), but the annotations attached to the formulas for feeding infants are almost all the same and all say that this milk is quite suitable for feeding a newborn. However, this does not solve the problem of feeding infants.

Preparing for bottle feeding

The mother's hands should be washed clean and all objects that come into contact with the baby during feeding should be sterilised. Only boiled water should be used - gastroenteritis in infants, caused by poor hygiene, is a significant cause of infant mortality in developing countries and a significant morbidity in the UK. The amount of milk powder should be measured accurately. Underfeeding slows the growth of the baby, and overfeeding can cause life-threatening hypernatremia, constipation and obesity.

Feeding procedure

A baby needs about 150 ml/kg of milk per day. The total amount is divided into 4-6 feedings depending on the age and temperament of the child. Milk is often warmed for feeding, although there is no data that feeding cold milk is harmful. Milk should flow out of the bottle almost in a stream. Before each feeding, it is necessary to check the patency of the hole in the nipple, as it tends to clog. The hole in the nipple can be enlarged with a hot needle. The bottle with milk should be held by the feeder at such an angle that the baby does not suck in air along with the milk.

An allergy to cow's milk develops in some infants with atopy and manifests itself as diarrhea (sometimes bloody), vomiting, a rash around the mouth, swelling, failure to thrive and insufficient weight gain. In such cases, soy milk should be used. Cow's milk can be cautiously reintroduced after about a year.

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Weaning a baby from the breast

Milk contains sufficient nutrients and fully satisfies the needs of a newborn in the first 3 months of life. Any additional chemical substances or "dense substances" should be introduced into the child's diet in the period from 3 to 6 months in the form of porridge or puree. Liquid porridge should not be added to a bottle of milk.

Read also: How to wean a child from breastfeeding?

After the baby reaches 6 months, protein-enriched formulas can be used for feeding. Food can be given in small pieces so that the baby learns to chew. After the baby's first birthday is celebrated, he can drink cow's milk (preferably natural).

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Benefits of Artificial Feeding

The only acceptable alternative to breastfeeding in the first year of life is formula feeding; water can cause hyponatremia, and whole cow's milk is not a complete substitute for breast milk. The advantages of formula feeding include the ability to accurately determine the amount of food and the ability for other family members to participate in feeding. Although other factors are equal, these advantages are outweighed by the undeniable health benefits of breastfeeding for the child.

Commercially available infant formulas are available as dry, liquid concentrated, and liquid reconstituted (ready-to-feed) formulas; all contain vitamins, most of them are fortified with iron. The formula should be reconstituted with fluoridated water; when feeding a child over 6 months of age in areas where fluoridated water is not available, or when using ready-to-feed (reconstituted) formulas prepared with non-fluoridated water, fluoride should be added in drops (0.25 mg/day orally).

The choice of formula depends on the baby's needs. Cow's milk-based formulas are the standard choice unless the fussiness, regurgitation, or increased gas indicate sensitization to cow's milk protein or lactose intolerance (rare in the neonatal period), in which case soy formulas may be recommended. All soy formulas in the United States are lactose-free, but some babies with a cow's milk protein allergy may also have a soy protein allergy. In such cases, hydrolyzed protein formulas (elementary formulas) are used, which are made from cow's milk but contain triglycerides, proteins, and monosaccharides broken down into small, non-allergenic components. Special carbohydrate-free formulas are also available. These formulas have different vitamin contents and preparation methods.

Formula-fed babies are also fed on demand, but since formulas are digested more slowly than breast milk, the intervals between feedings are usually longer, at first about 3-4 hours. The initial volume of 15 to 60 ml (0.5 to 2 ounces) is gradually increased to 90 ml (3 ounces) about 6 times a day during the first week of life, which provides about 120 kcal/kg by the first week for a three-kilogram baby.

Even fathers can bottle feed a newborn. The mother knows exactly how much milk the baby has drunk. This feeding can be done without any difficulty even in places that are not very suitable for this. Many mothers of Asian descent believe that colostrum is harmful to the baby and therefore prefer to start with artificial feeding.

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