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  • Title: Protection, energy and nutrients.
    Author: Mata L.
    Journal: Diarrhoea Dialogue; 1984 May; (17):4-5. PubMed ID: 12266184.
    Abstract:
    The advantages of breastfeeding are briefly summarized and some strategies for promoting breastfeeding, based on the results of recently conducted studies on Costa Rica and the Philippines, are described. Advantages of breastfeeding include 1) the presence of elements in human milk which provide protection against infectious diseases and other substances which make it difficult for bacteria to survive; 2) the electrolyte composition of breast milk makes it unnecessay to provide infants with water, thereby reducing the risks associated with drinking contaminated water; and 3) the biochemical composition of human milk which reduces the risk of aminoacid imbalance and facilitates the absorption of irom, zinc and other elements. Breastfeeding also encourages closer contact between the mother and the infant and facilitates the bonding process. In addition, breastfeeding is economically less costly than bottle feeding. Despite these advantages there is a trend toward bottle feeding in developing countries. Only traditional rural societies, eg, Bangladesh, Peru, and zaire, at present carry on universal breastfeeding. Studies in the Philippines and in Costa Rica demonstrate that this trend can be countered by interventions such as such rooming-in in maternity hospitals and by providing effective follow-up support for breastfeeding mother after they leave the hospital. In a large maternity unit in a Costa Rica hospital these intervention techniques proved highly successful. Before the intervention in 1977, 20% of the infants were never breastfed, and 66% of all infants were artificially feed at 3 months of age. After intervention, 95% of the infants were successfully breastfeeding during their hospital stay, and at follow-up 3 months later, 80% of the infants were still being breastfed. In another hospital study in Costa Rica preterm and high risk babies were feed from a colostrum pool and the incidence rates for diarrheal illness, sepsis, acute respiratory infection, and meningitis greately declined.
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