Problems in nutrition of newborns

The errors that are associated with feeding newborns are amazing and are based on the theory of balanced nutrition. As is known, in higher organisms, including humans, food is digested due to cavity and membrane digestion. However, during the period of milk nutrition in humans and immature mammals, cavitary digestion is poorly developed, and the membrane digestion is dominant. In the very first days after birth an extremely important role is played by intracellular digestion of the endocytosis type and vesicular transport through the enterocyte without the cleavage of the polymers. Apparently, the mechanisms providing membrane digestion have already been formed by the end of the embryonic period. On the contrary, cavitary digestion develops when switching from dairy to mixed food. This changes the enzyme spectrum of the intestinal cell membrane, including repression of lactase synthesis.

To date, the replacement of women's milk by various products made on the basis of cow's milk is widely used. From the point of view of the theory of balanced nutrition, a simulator of breast milk based on cow is an excellent substitute. Minor differences in chemical composition do not matter. There are, however, data that such a replacement is inadequate. From the positions of the theory of adequate nutrition in the first months of a child's life, the replacement of women's milk is unsatisfactory, and in the early days is extremely dangerous. This is due to the fact that, as noted, intensive endocytosis dominates immediately after birth, which ensures the absorption of macromolecules by intestinal cells and the entry of newborn proteins of mother's milk into the body (and when using substitutes, the delivery of foreign antigens into the internal environment). This mechanism consists in the receptors capture the surface of intestinal cells of different types of molecules, their rapid concentration in the so-called bordered pits and immersion in the cytoplasm in the form of vesicles. Such a mechanism normally provides a variety of different effects, including the supply of immunoglobulins from the mother's body to the baby's body. However, if the mother's milk is replaced by milk from a representative of mammals of a different species, then by means of endocytosis foreign antigens will enter the internal environment of the body. In a few days after birth, endocytosis practically ceases. At this age, a dairy picture appears, indicating a sharp difference between maternal and cow's milk for other reasons.

As is known, the content of lactose in breast milk is much higher than in cow's milk. With the normal feeding of a child, only a part of the lactose is absorbed into the small intestine, and the other reaches the colon, providing a slightly acidic environment favorable for the development of lactic acid and other beneficial bacteria. With the use of cow's milk, lactose does not reach the colon, and in the cavity of the latter instead of lactic acid fermentation putrefactive processes can predominate, which leads to a permanent intoxication of the child's body. Formation of toxic products against the background of weakness of the intestinal and hepatic barriers leads to a violation of both the physical and intellectual development of the child, which can affect not only in childhood, but also in later periods of life. In recent years, successful attempts have been made to optimize ("humanize") milk formulas by adding lactose, in order to restore lactic fermentation in the large intestine and suppress putrefactive processes. Under all circumstances, the example of the influence of cow's milk on the development of a newborn child demonstrates how much human intervention can have in the chemistry of one's own organism and, in particular, in the natural process of assimilation of food. Thus, it has been demonstrated that with the first consumption, cow's milk in infants can have an anaphylactic reaction. In general, up to 7.5% of children are allergic to cow's milk.

Apparently, in children in the early period of development there are two types of food allergies different in mechanism:

1. an allergy of IgE-type in response to minor amounts of antigens in milk;
2. allergy in response to artificial feeding.

Deficiency in breast milk of IgE antibodies is a risk factor for the development of food allergies in children.

One should pay attention to the alarming information that breast milk does not provide enough calcium, phosphorus, sodium and protein for the needs of prematurely born children who are recommended to enriched women's milk.

It should be noted that for children suffering from food allergies, special protein hydrolysates are recommended. Their characteristics and use in the therapeutic nutrition of children are presented in a number of modern reviews.

Thus, one of the global challenges of our time is the development of breast milk simulators that do not have negative consequences after their application.

[1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8], [9], [10],