13.4 Nutrition During Pregnancy: Breast Milk

– WELCOME TO OUR FOURTH SECTION ON NUTRITION DURING PREGNANCY AND INFANCY. THIS SECTION IS GOING TO BE COVERING BREASTFEEDING. I’M GOING TO START WITH THIS HERE, THIS IS THE INTERNATIONAL SYMBOL FOR BREASTFEEDING. SO YOU’LL BE SEEING IT IN A LOT OF MY SLIDES.

I’M GOING TO START WITH TALKING ABOUT WHY BREAST MILK IS SO PERFECT FOR THE BABY. IT IS PERFECTLY DESIGNED FOR THE NEWBORN. NOW, IF WE LOOK CARBOHYDRATES, WE SEE THAT CARBOHYDRATES, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE MACRONUTRIENTS; CARBOHYDRATES, LIPIDS, AND PROTEIN. CARBOHYDRATE HAS LACTOSE.

NOW REMEMBER LACTOSE IS MILK SUGAR AND ITS COMPOSED OF GLUCOSE IS GALACTOSE, SO THOSE ARE DISACCHARIDES. LACTOSE IS REALLY EASY TO DIGEST FOR AN INFANT. ALL INFANTS HAVE THE ENZYME LACTASE TO BREAK DOWN LACTOSE. ADULTS DO NOT BECAUSE THEY’RE NOT EXPECTING TO DRINK MILK, IF YOU LOOK AT IT FROM AN EVOLUTIONARY PERSPECTIVE.

LACTOSE IS EASY TO DIGEST AND IT ALSO ENHANCES CALCIUM ABSORPTION. SO THIS CA HERE DOESN’T STAND FOR CALIFORNIA. IT STANDS FOR CALCIUM. LIPIDS, LIPIDS ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR INFANTS, FOR THEIR GROWTH AND THEIR DEVELOPMENT, THEIR NEUROLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT PARTICULARLY.

ITS ALSO ONE OF THEIR MAIN ENERGY SOURCES. AND REMEMBER THAT FATS IN PARTICULAR ARE THE FAT– TRIGLYCERIDES ARE WHAT WE USE FOR ENERGY. THEY GIVE US NINE CALORIES PER GRAM. SO THEY’RE USED AS AN ENERGY SOURCE BUT ALSO THOSE ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS.

BOTH OMEGA-3 AND OMEGA-6 FATTY ACIDS ARE VERY IMPORTANT FOR OVERALL DEVELOPMENT, PARTICULARLY NEUROLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT. AND BREAST MILK PROVIDES THE PERFECT SOURCE IN THE PERFECT RATIO OF THESE. PROTEIN THAT IS IN BREAST MILK IS VERY EASILY DIGESTED. IN ADDITION, WE HAVE LACTOFERRIN WHICH HELPS TO BIND IRON AND CARRY IRON.

SO THERE ARE A NUMBER OF REASONS WHY BREAST MILK, IN TERMS OF JUST THIS GENERAL MACRONUTRIENT COMPOSITION IS PERFECTLY DESIGNED FOR A NEWBORN. NOW IF WE LOOK AT OUR MICRO NUTRIENTS, VITAMINS AND MINERALS THAT OCCUR IN BREAST MILK, WE CAN SEE WHICH NUTRIENTS OCCUR IN LARGE AMOUNTS PARTICULAR WITH THE VITAMINS; VITAMIN C, A VERY HIGH AMOUNT OF VITAMIN C. WHAT’S NOTABLE, AND I’LL TALK ABOUT IN A MINUTE, IS THAT THERE IS NOT A HIGH AMOUNT OF VITAMIN D. IT’S ACTUALLY FAIRLY LOW. AND I’LL GET TO THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS IN A MINUTE. BUT THE MINERALS, WE HAVE A HIGHLY ABSORBABLE SOURCE OF CALCIUM, THAT’S THE CA REPRESENTED HERE, BUT LOW ON SODIUM WHICH IS DIFFICULT TO FIND IN A LOT OF FOODS THAT WE SEE IN OUR STORES, RIGHT, AND HIGH IN ZINC AND ADEQUATE IN IRON.

TALK ABOUT THIS IN A MINUTE, TOO. SO THESE ARE [INAUDIBLE] THE NEWBORN NEEDS AND THAT OCCUR, AND ESSENTIALLY WE CAN SAY ALMOST PERFECT AMOUNTS IN BREAST MILK. AND I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT THE MOTHER, DESPITE WHAT HER NUTRITION IS, WILL ALWAYS PRODUCE A HIGH QUALITY MILK. BUT THE AMOUNT OF MILK IS VERY MUCH IMPAIRED BY HER DIET.

SO IF THE MOTHER IS NOT CONSUMING ADEQUATE NUTRITION, SHE– THE BODY NATURALLY IS JUST GOING TO DEVELOP THIS VERY HIGH QUALITY MILK. BUT IF THERE’S NOT ENOUGH NUTRIENTS TO PULL FROM, THEN IT’S GOING TO BE A LOW AMOUNT OF THAT HIGH QUALITY MILK. SO THE MILK IS GENERALLY ALWAYS A HIGH QUALITY, IT JUST MAY NOT BE ENOUGH IF THE MOTHER’S NUTRITION IS INADEQUATE. NOW WHAT’S VERY IMPORTANT ABOUT BREAST MILK, AND THIS IS WHY IT’S ALWAYS PUSHED ESPECIALLY IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE BIRTH.

AND SO WHILE THE MOTHERS ARE STILL IN THE HOSPITAL WITH THEIR NEWBORNS, IS THAT THERE ARE IMMUNE FACTORS AND THEY HAVE ANTIVIRAL AGENTS, ANTIBACTERIAL AGENTS, AND THE INFANTS WHO ARE BREAST FED ARE LESS LIKELY TO HAVE GASTROINTESTINAL DISORDERS, AND LESS LIKELY TO HAVE INFECTIONS. THE COLOSTORUM, WHICH COMES OUT INITIALLY BEFORE EVEN THE BREAST MILK STARTS TO COME OUT, IN THOSE FIRST TWO DAYS OF BREASTFEEDING, CONTAINS ANTIBODIES. SO THESE IMMUNE FACTORS ARE IMPORTANT. AND THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO WAY THAT ANY SORT OF FORMULA CAN EVER MIMIC THIS, THESE IMMUNE FACTORS WHICH THE MOTHER BASICALLY PROVIDES FOR HER INFANT THROUGH BREASTFEEDING.

SO BREAST FED BABIES ARE LESS PRONE TO DEVELOP STOMACH AND INTESTINAL DISORDERS DURING THE FIRST FEW MONTHS OF LIFE, AND THAT’S COMPARED TO BABIES WHO ARE FORMULA-FED. AS I MENTIONED VITAMIN D AND WE TALKED ABOUT THE VITAMIN D A LOT THIS SEMESTER, BUT IT’S A PROBLEM WHEN WE ARE DESIGNED TO OBTAIN OUR VITAMIN D FROM THE SUN. IT’S NOT LIKE THE SUN HAS VITAMIN D. BUT THAT UV LIGHT WILL STIMULATE THE TRANSFORMATION OF A CHOLESTEROL-BASED CHEMICAL IN OUR SKIN AND TRANSFORM THAT TO AN ACTIVE– TO A PRE VITAMIN D WHICH GETS ACTIVATED IN OUR BODY TO VITAMIN D, WHICH ACTS AS AN IMPORTANT HORMONE IN OUR BODY. SO ALTHOUGH WE CAN CONSUME VITAMIN D FROM A FEW FOOD SOURCES, WE’RE DESIGNED TO GET IT FROM– ESSENTIALLY FROM THE SUN, AS ARE BABIES. BUT NOW EVERYBODY IS AFRAID OF SKIN CANCER AND, YOU KNOW, I’LL SAY I AM ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE BECAUSE I HAVE HAD SKIN CANCER ALREADY, AND I’M ONLY IN MY 40’S.

SO IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO COVER UP AND NOT HAVE EXCESSIVE SUN EXPOSURE. BUT BECAUSE OF THAT, INFANTS ARE, YOU KNOW, THEY’RE COVERED WITH HATS AND SUNSCREEN. AND HAVE YOU EVER GONE TO A POOL WHERE THERE ARE A BUNCH OF INFANTS? THEY’RE GENERALLY NOT IN THESE LITTLE BATHING SUITS LIKE THIS. THEY’RE GENERALLY IN THESE FULL SUITS TO COMPLETELY COVER THEM FROM THE SUN.

WHAT THAT DOES IS IT REALLY LIMITS ANY SUN EXPOSURE, WHICH HELPS PRODUCE THAT IMPORTANT VITAMIN D THAT THEY’RE NOT GETTING FROM BREAST MILK, BECAUSE IF WE LOOK BACK AT OUR PARENTS WE’RE NOT REALLY DESIGNED TO GET THE VITAMIN D FROM BREAST MILK. SO THIS IS ANOTHER TIME WHEN VITAMIN D SUPPLEMENTATION IS ACTUALLY RECOMMENDED. AGAIN, I ALWAYS SAY YOU TRY TO GET YOUR VITAMINS AND MINERALS, ALL OF YOUR NUTRIENTS FROM FOOD. BUT THERE ARE INSTANCES WHERE WE CANNOT DO THAT AND THIS IS ONE OF THEM, BECAUSE THE BREAST MILK DOES NOT HAVE ENOUGH VITAMIN D AND INFANTS REALLY SHOULDN’T BE FED ANY SOLID FOOD AT ALL, UP UNTIL AT LEAST SIX MONTHS.

NOW TALKING ABOUT IRON. WHEN WE LOOK AT THERE ARE– WE TALKED ABOUT IN THE LAST LECTURE THAT THERE ARE FOUR TO SIX MONTHS WORTH OF IRON STORED UP. ‘CAUSE THAT FETUS, ESSENTIALLY THE BABY THAT’S GROWING IN THE WOMB IS PULLING AS MUCH IRON OUT, SO THEY CAN SURVIVE FOR FOUR TO SIX MONTHS. SO THEY HAVE TO STORE FOUR TO SIX MONTHS.

BUT AFTER SIX MONTHS IT RUNS OUT. NOW, BREAST MILK DURING THAT TIME, FOUR TO SIX MONTHS, IS ADEQUATE BECAUSE IT’S ASSUMED THAT THERE’S A STORE OF FOUR TO SIX MONTHS OF IRON. ONCE THAT STORE RUNS OUT, BREAST MILK IS NOT GOING TO PROVIDE ENOUGH IRON FOR THE BABY. SO THERE ACTUALLY IS A RISK OF DEFICIENCY.

SO AGAIN, BREAST MILK IS AMPLE DURING THIS TIME. IT IS NOT SUFFICIENT AFTER SIX MONTHS. SO THIS IS WHEN WE THINK THAT OTHER FOOD SOURCES ARE GOING TO BE NEEDED; PARTICULARLY IRON-FORTIFIED SOURCES DEPENDING ON THE FOOD SOURCES. AGAIN, ALWAYS IMPORTANT TO GET IT FROM AS MANY NUTRIENTS AS POSSIBLE FROM WHOLE FOOD SOURCES.

BUT DURING THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE INFANT, IT’S VERY IMPORTANT TO GET THE ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS. THE FOOD THAT AN INFANT IS EATING IS GOING TO TRANSITION FROM ABOUT FOUR TO SIX MONTHS INTO ABOUT SIX MONTHS. THEIR ABILITY TO SWALLOW, AND ALL THE MECHANICS THAT GO INTO CHEWING, IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, THE NEXT TIME YOU STICK A CARROT IN YOUR MOUTH AND START CHEWING, THINK ABOUT WHAT ACTUALLY HAS TO HAPPEN AS FAR AS MOVING THE MOUTH, GOING THROUGH A SWALLOWING, THE ABILITY TO SWALLOW. WELL, THOSE ALL REQUIRE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF COORDINATION AND AN ABILITY TO DO THAT DOES NOT DEVELOP IN THE INFANT UNTIL AROUND FOUR TO SIX MONTHS.

WE LIKE TO SAY SIX MONTHS OR SO. SO SOLID FOOD SHOULD NOT BE INTRODUCED UNTIL AT LEAST SOMEWHERE AROUND FOUR TO SIX MONTHS AND THEN IT NEEDS TO BE VERY SOFT FOOD. IF YOU HAVE THE TIME TO TAKE WHOLE FOOD AND PUREE IT, THAT IS ABSOLUTELY MUCH BETTER THAN IT IS TO BUY A CANNED FOOD OR A JARRED FOOD. BUT WE ALL LIVE IN THE REAL WORLD AND THERE ARE TIME CONSTRAINTS, SO INTRODUCING JARRED FOOD, BABY FOOD IS OKAY AT SIX MONTHS ESPECIALLY IF IT’S GOING TO BE A SUPPLEMENT TO BREAST MILK.

SO YOU’RE NOT GOING TO BE BREASTFEEDING AS OFTEN, AND MAYBE YOU’RE COMBINING THE TWO. SO WE’LL FINISH WITH THIS, JUST THE LAST SECTION I JUST WANT TO MENTION IRON AGAIN. THAT THE INFANT HAS A STORE FOR FOUR TO SIX MONTHS, BREAST MILK IS ADEQUATE. AFTER THAT TIME BREAST MILK IS NOT ADEQUATE.

IF YOU CAN GET THE NUTRIENTS FROM FOOD, PREPARING YOUR OWN FOOD WITH WHOLE FOOD TO GET ADEQUATE AMOUNTS OF IRON AND OTHER NUTRIENTS THAT’S THE BEST. THE NEXT STEP WOULD BE BABY FOOD AND THEN THOSE USUALLY COME FORTIFIED. THE LAST, LAST OPTION WOULD BE SOME SORT OF SUPPLEMENTATION AND THAT’S ONLY RECOMMENDED BY A PEDIATRICIAN. AND THAT’S THE END OF THIS SECTION ON BREASTFEEDING.

Nature’s Way Sambucus Black Elderberry Gummies with Vitamin C and Zinc, 60 Gummies

Source: Christine Dobrowolski