Instructions on how to take care of breastfed babies (0-2 years old)

The article was written by Doctor Nguyen Thai Ngoc Chau - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Phu Quoc International General Hospital

Breast milk is the most valuable source of nutrition to help infants fight diseases and promote their health and development. According to estimates of the World Health Organization: 22% of infant deaths are preventable if breastfed is started within 1 hour of birth, 13% of children under 5 years of age die. can be prevented with exclusive breastfeeding.

Breast milk is the ideal food for babies, especially in the first 6 months. And breast milk must be the baby's first food to help the intestines mature well. If we feed the child with other foods (cow's milk, porridge, stir-fry), the child is very susceptible to digestive disorders causing diarrhea.
In addition to its anti-infective properties, breast milk also avoids many allergic diseases (eczema, asthma...) in the future, due to its high IgA content.
Breast milk is also related to the intelligence of the baby because breast milk contains galactose and linoleic and arachidonic fatty acids that help the brain mature.
With breastfeeding, mother-child affection is concretized. This affection is very necessary to help children quickly adapt to the outside world.
When breastfeeding, the mother will not menstruate for 8 months and thus postpartum planning can be implemented.
There is an association between high rates of breast cancer in people who do not breastfeed.

To help the baby adapt gradually, the composition of breast milk also changes in quantity and quality in the first 2 weeks after birth and is called in the following order:
Colostrum : Available from the fourth month of pregnancy and continued up to 6 days postpartum. Transitional milk: From the 7th to the 14th day after birth. Permanent milk: From the 3rd week to the end of breastfeeding. Colostrum is pale yellow, thick, high in protein, low in lactose and fat, compared to permanent milk. Colostrum should be the first food of a newborn baby, because the ingredients are suitable for the initial needs:
Colostrum because it is dense, it is rich in energy, helping the child fight hunger, although the amount of milk is not much. Colostrum is also rich in bactericidal substances, helping the baby avoid infections (diarrhea, pneumonia, meningitis ...) even though at birth there is aspiration of dirty amniotic fluid or mother's vaginal fluid. Bactericidal substances will decrease very quickly from the second hour after birth. Colostrum is rich in vitamin A, 10 times more than permanent milk. Breastfeeding early colostrum, the baby will have enough vitamin A to store in the liver. Vitamin A helps children grow and gain weight quickly. To match the poor functioning of the kidneys in the early days, colostrum contains less calcium and phosphorus than permanent milk.

Health workers will help mothers make skin-to-skin contact right after birth to help babies get breast milk early (within 90 minutes after birth). Some benefits of letting the baby lie next to the mother are that the mother will be easier to take care of and monitor the baby, the baby will cry less, and the breastfeeding time will be longer.
Let the baby breastfeed early so that the baby can enjoy colostrum, the baby's sucking movement appears very soon after birth, after the crying and breathing movements. Babies find their mother's breast through the smell of milk when their mother holds them in their arms. If for any reason, the child cannot breastfeed (premature, underweight, choking, sick, has mouth defects...) should express colostrum for the baby to drink.
In addition, early breastfeeding helps: milk comes in sooner, less milk engorgement, helps the uterus to contract early, and the mother has less postpartum blood loss.
If the mother has enough milk, the baby sucks on one breast, is full after 10-15 minutes and sleeps for 3 hours straight after waking up to ask for a feed, and every day for the first month, the baby gains at least 25g, 50g on average, and at most 100g, and urinating more than 6 times a day. Do not feed the baby at the same time from both breasts because the baby will not be able to finish and the second breast will reduce milk production later.

Observe the child:
The child's mouth is wide open, the tongue is forward and can be seen above the gums. Lower lip facing outwards. The baby's chin touches the mother's breast. The upper areola is more visible than the lower areola. Correct feeding position:
Baby's head and body are in a straight line. The baby's face is facing the breast and the baby's lips are facing the nipple. The child's body is close to the mother, supporting the whole young person. Effective suckling:
The baby sucks slowly, deeply, sometimes stopping and then continuing to suckle. Swallowing sounds can be seen or heard.

If the mother does not have enough milk, the baby only sleeps for 1-2 hours, and cries for a feed. Mothers need to increase the number of feedings from 6-7 times/day to 12 times/day, including at night, if the mother lacks milk and preserve breast milk by:
Drink lots of water and milk, cereals, soups ,... Eat enough and increase meals. Beer and tea are not dairy drinks. Certain spices, onions, tomatoes, and chocolate can cause indigestion and constipation in children. Get enough rest, sleep 8 hours/day or more. It is necessary to avoid worry and sadness because it is a factor that reduces breast milk. Avoid heavy labor. Use any medicine with the advice of a doctor, avoid smoking, drinking alcohol, using enema, antibiotics and drugs that can pass into breast milk. All women have enough milk to feed their babies, however, there are cases of lack of milk because of not knowing how to breastfeed and protect breast milk. Breast milk is the ideal food for babies under 12 months and especially under 6 months. Breastfeeding is the most active method to prevent malnutrition in children under 1 year of age.