Contraindications of Breastfeeding: Details Discussion
What is Exclusive Breastfeeding?
Exclusive breastfeeding means that the baby has no other food or drink but breast milk-not even a “dummy”. If the baby sometimes has small amounts of another food or drink-such as drinks of water or vitamin drops-he is almost exclusively breastfed.
It implies feeding breast milk is enough for the baby up to 6 months of life and no other food is necessary during this time. When a baby is given only breast milk, not even a drop of water up to 6 months of age, it is called absolute or exclusive breastfeeding. In another article, I have discussed the key differences between human breast milk and cow milk.
Duration of Exclusive Breastfeeding:
The best and safest way to feed a baby up to the age of 6 months is exclusive breastfeeding. Babies do not normally need anything other than breast milk, even in the first few days after they are born.
Importance of Breastfeeding:
- Breast milk contains colostrum which protects infants.
- Breast milk is cheap.
- Breast milk is freely available.
- Breast milk is sterile.
- Breast milk can be given at any time.
- Breast milk increases mother and child bonding.
- Breast milk is free from pathogenic organisms.
- Breast milk helps in the involution of the uterus.
- Infants who cannot take breast milk are put on cow’s milk, soya milk, or thin milk.
Contraindications of Breastfeeding for Mother:
- Mother with a serious psychiatric disorder.
- Markedly inverted nipples, fissures, and cracks of nipples may not allow mothers to feed children for some time.
- Mothers suffering from acute fevers, tuberculosis, chronic nephritis, heart disease and breast abscess, septicemia, eclampsia, breast tumor, post-partum psychosis, etc.
- Mother has cancer and is being treated with anticancer agents.
Contraindications of Breastfeeding for Child:
- If the infant has galactosemia since exposure to galactose (from lactose of human milk) will lead to serious mental retardation, cataracts, and liver damage.
- If the infant has phenylketonuria, such infants need a diet low in phenylalanine. Breast milk contains phenylalanine in higher concentrations.
- Gross per maturity of the baby or other condition in which the newborn cannot suck.
More questions related to this article:
- What do you mean by exclusive breastfeeding?
- Define exclusive breastfeeding.
- What is the importance of breastfeeding?
- Why breastfeeding is so important for mother and child?
- What are the benefits of breastfeeding for mum?
- What are the benefits of breastfeeding for child development?
- How much time provided for exclusive breastfeeding?
- Mention the duration of exclusive breastfeeding?
- List the contraindications of breastfeeding for the mother.
- List the contraindications of breastfeeding for the child.
Maria Khatun Mona is a Founder and Editor of Nursing Exercise Blog. She is a Nursing and Midwifery Expert. Currently she is working as a Registered Nurse at Evercare Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh. She has great passion in writing different articles on Nursing and Midwifery. Mail her at “[email protected]”
