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  • Title: Why mother's milk is best.
    Author: Choto RG.
    Journal: Afr Women Health; 1993; 1():8-12. PubMed ID: 12287501.
    Abstract:
    Breast milk substitutes made of water, porridge, or animal milk were given to babies only as a life-saving effort prior to World War II, in the event of lack of mother's milk, breast infection or the death of the mother. In the post-war era of the early 1950's, improperly constituted infant formulas became prevalent in the industrialized world to allow the release of women into the work force. Advertising and marketing techniques were also launched in Third World countries, which became easy victims of this ploy because of ignorance, poverty, and inadequate sanitation. Medical consequences include infections from contamination at the source (infantile botulism); hyponatremia, hypocalcaemia, with poor muscle, heart, and brain functioning, from over dilution with water; and infectious diarrhea, which can lead to marasmus and kwashiorkor, from mixture contaminated water. Breast milk contains colostrum, a supercharged nutrient that ensures meeting the infant's immediate energy needs as well as providing antibodies to most childhood diseases. Infant formulas cannot provide this protection. The introduction of weaning foods occurs around 5-6 months of age, when local foodstuffs rather than commercial supplements ought to be used. However, semi-literate mothers are often exposed to radio advertising about substitutes that overwhelm them. Their infants get formula diluted in unclean water and unsuitable solids too early. They will eventually live on fresh cow's milk with the attendant problems of anemia and bovine tuberculosis. Breast-feeding also provides a practical means of birth control and child spacing. The government should enact a national code on the manufacture, nutritional contents, and sale of these substitutes.
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