It has been said several times that breast milk is a good source of nutrition an infant requires to remain healthy. It is full of minerals, vitamins, digestive protein and carbohydrates. Breast milk perfectly delivers hormones an infant needs. It helps in resisting infection as it is full of antibodies. Healthy infants have the capacity to store iron via breast milk until they complete 8 months. You can start providing iron rich food at this age. In a recent Spanish study, Spanish researchers tried different methods in exploring the fact that breast milk contains medicines and drugs. The researchers gave several advices like avoid drinking three cups of coffee per day, not taking any kind of drug and shunning smoking before feeding the infant.
There is a difference of opinion among scientific community whether drug abusers women should breast feed the infants. Spanish hospitals and researchers are advising mothers to follow June Issue of the Journal Analytical and Bioanalytical chemistry.
The general consensus among medical fertinity is totally avoid drug abuse while breast feeding because these substances can pass on to the infant indirectly. Researchers were also of the opinion that these recommendations also apply to prenatal period as well, as these harmful substances may be passed on to the foetus through placenta. Through postnatal period these substances can be passed on to the infant through environment.
Use of Nicotine, Caffeine and alcohol
Did you know the breast milk of smoking mothers contain around 2 and 240 nanograms of nicotine per milliliter? That means baby gets a dose of 0.3 to 36 micrograms/kg/day of these substances per day. These infants however, are prone to respiratory infections and colic in life. The advice is clear avoiding smoking during pregnancy and breastfeeding. If you are unable to give up the habit at least limit your intake for the sake of your baby. Caffeine found in tea, cola, coffee medicines and drinks can cause various conditions in baby as they will age.
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Precaution