It has now been established that breastfeeding is the best for your baby. In fact, it is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics that you breastfeed exclusively for a minimum of 6 months. The research shows that breastfeeding can boost up your child’s immunity. Breastfeeding can decrease the incidence or severity of conditions such as diarrhea, ear infections and bacterial meningitis. Some studies also suggest that breastfeeding may offer protection against sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), diabetes, obesity and asthma among others. And to top it off, breastfeeding for a year can increase your child’s IQ by up to 8 points!
There’s no doubt that mother’s milk offers the perfect food in the right proportions for your baby, but for those who cannot breastfeed, you need to be careful with the infant formula you choose. It has been found recently that powdered infant formula has a risk of being contaminated with a bacteria that causes meningitis in infants. The World Health Organization now recommends that the water should be boiled first, then cooled to 158° fahrenheit, and then used to reconstitute the formula at that temperature.
In addition, most infant formulas are missing a key nutritional component: fatty acid. Because we live in a society that stresses anti-fat, most people are unaware that the brain is 60% lipid (fat). For an infant to remain as healthy as possible, we need to provide a proper balance of essential fats. Dr. Joseph Mercola, author of the Total Health Program, recommends adding the following to an infant’s diet:
- -Carlson’s Cod Liver Oil – one cc per ten pounds of body weight
- -Organic egg yolk – 1 yolk daily added at four months of age
- -Organic cream (ideally non-pasteurized and non-homogenized). If you are unable to find a local dairy farmer who will cooperate with you, try this link: www.realmilk.com/where.html
- -Omega Nutrition pure sesame, walnut, safflower, sunflower, oils (rotate with above) – 1 tsp daily
- -High quality coconut oil – 1 tsp daily. This needs to be heated to 76° fahrenheit to become a liquid.
Although breast feeding may be difficult and tedious at times, we suggest that you ensure that your child is getting everything they need should you decide to use formula. When necessary, add what is lacking under the direction of a nutritionist or ask your Family Wellness Chiropractor for more information.