Breastfeed for safety's sake

Friday the 28^th of June is Red Nose Day, but behind the signature merchandise and upbeat fundraising activities, lays the devastating issue of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). According to the SIDS and Kids website, over 3500 families are affected by the tragedy of a sudden, unexpected infant or child death each year. Although there is much international research into SIDS, the cause largely remains unknown. (1) The risk of SIDS, however can be reduced by developing safe sleeping practices and ensuring a smoke free environment. (1) Further to this, much evidence shows that exclusively breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life reduces the risk of SIDS by more than 60%. (1, 2, 3)

<strong”>Reducing the risk of SIDS

There are several mechanisms of breastfeeding and breast milk that are believed to be involved in reducing the risk of SIDS, including, protection against respiratory and gastrointestinal infection through a boosted immune system, improved coordination of breathing and swallowing and improved breathing overall due to reduced allergy responses, optimal brain development which ensures appropriate nervous impulses around the respiratory centre, and improvement and harmony in sleep/wake cycles. (3, 4)

<strong”>Breast is the best choice

Unfortunately for many mothers, it is not a simple choice to breastfeed or not. For a variety of physiologically, social, emotional and cultural reasons many mothers experience difficulties in continuing to breastfeed. Exclusively breastfeeding during the first 6 months of life is particularly critical in not only reducing the risk of SIDS, but also in increasing the baby’s cognitive and emotional development and providing a host of other health benefits to mother and baby. (4) Although infant formula provides adequate nutrition, the unique and dynamic beneficial properties of breast milk cannot be completely mimicked. (4)

<strong”>If not formula, then what?

In generations gone by a mother who was unable to feed her child for whatever reason would simply have a wet-nurse breastfeed the baby on her behalf, but with the introduction of infant formulas and risk of infectious disease, this practice is far from the common place it once was.

The idea of another woman feeding your child or sharing breast milk with your baby, probably makes some of you feel quiet uncomfortable, however due to the known benefits of breast milk a trend in ‘modern day wet nursing’ is emerging.

<strong”>Breast Milk: banked, donated and shared

For the most part governments are well on board with the initiative of ‘modern day wet nursing.’ In Australia there are 4 established Breast Milk Banks which store, screen, pasteurise and distribute breast milk to those who need it, particularly premature infants. While in Brazil there are more than 200 Breast Milk Banks which have worked to see their infant mortality rate reduced by more than 73%. (5)

Unofficially there is also a global wide resurgence of communities that both share and donate breast milk. In almost every state and territory in Australia there is a chapter of Human Milk for Human Babies, which are networks thousands strong of families donating and receiving breast milk. These communities, although maybe not everyone’s cup of tea, are open and welcoming to anybody who wishes to be involved in ensuring babies are given the best nutrition possible.

Before making the decision to discontinue breastfeeding it is important to speak with a child health nurse, a paediatrician, or seek support from the Australian Breastfeeding Association.

104 Comments

- - barch said
  - 27 Oct 2013
    9:12 am
I’m pretty sure that most people would acknowledge that breast feeding is the best possible outcome for their baby. That said, people need to acknowledge also that it is not possible for everyone to breast feed, despite their desire to do so.
- kathryn replied
  
  31 Dec 2013 , 9:28 pm
  And it is so hard when it just doesn’t happen. There are deep feelings of having already failed as a mother. It can be a very isolating experience.
- - katith21 said
  - 25 Oct 2013
    1:19 pm
I believe that breast feeding is the best start a baby can have

- - yyon4699 said
  - 15 Oct 2013
    10:52 am
am very proud to be breastfeeding and still going 🙂

- - catgrrl3 said
  - 14 Oct 2013
    2:46 pm
thank you for taking the time to write this, I enjoyed reading it.

- - katelt said
  - 29 Aug 2013
    3:21 pm
Thank you for this information, it is good to know there are things that can be done to reduce the risk of SIDS. I just hope Mums who have not been able to breastfeed don’t feel guilty
- ajmalhotra replied
  
  06 Sep 2013 , 12:24 am
  I agree… Sometimes for mums unable to breastfeed there is so much guilt
- - traceyi said
  - 29 Aug 2013
    2:47 pm
I hope mums who can’t or couldn’t BF their babies don’t feel left out in this article
- missangela replied
  
  30 Aug 2013 , 6:04 pm
  I agree for medical reasons some mother’s can not breast feed.
  I had a traumatic c section that made me lose alot of blood . For this reason my body wouldn’t produce milk. My Dr said your body tries to mend your body 1st before producing milk.
  I wanted to breastfeed and I was but I was not producing enough so I had to bottle feed. It was not my decision and I felt bad but it was natures way.
- - vikram77 said
  - 26 Aug 2013
    1:01 am
I believe that breast feeding is the best

- - hopefullyheidi said
  - 18 Aug 2013
    2:57 pm
The statistics from Brazil in terms of the mortality rate are absolutely astounding.

- - traceyi said
  - 14 Aug 2013
    12:31 pm
what a beautiful thing it is

- - missangela said
  - 08 Aug 2013
    2:48 pm
I had a lot of issues with breastfeeding . I didn’t seem to get much help.

- - delwyn_davis said
  - 31 Jul 2013
    4:59 pm
Breastfed my babies and loved not having to deal with bottles. I feel for those that can’t breastfeed but know they still give their babies the best they can.

- - mrs harkness said
  - 26 Jul 2013
    5:15 pm
not all mums can breast feed for a lot of reasons.

- - jenny9761 said
  - 22 Jul 2013
    1:41 pm
Thanks for this interesting article.

- - rachkap said
  - 20 Jul 2013
    8:56 pm
Great article. Thanks for the info!

- - broke said
  - 15 Jul 2013
    8:12 pm
I breast fed all three of my children and I can tell you it was never an easy job with inverted nipples and engourgment problematic expressing and many other reasons to stop but I persisted with all three of my children till they were over 12 months and it feels great that I did persist for all of them.

- - jenny9761 said
  - 15 Jul 2013
    5:10 pm
I did breast feed my baby and I do feel sorry for mums who want to but can’t.

- - jodie80 said
  - 14 Jul 2013
    5:37 pm
Breast is best. I had a bloody hard time at the start. No one tells you how hard it is but in the end it was best for me and baby 🙂

- - sapshu936 said
  - 13 Jul 2013
    10:04 pm
I breastfed my first son for 22 months but it was very challenging for me during the initial months..

- - hopefullyheidi said
  - 11 Jul 2013
    6:37 pm
I agree with you Kate. I expressed for as long as I could (we had all sorts of issues) then at four months I could endure no more as I was extremely tired and switched to exclusively formula. I like the idea of breast milk banks but I was lead to believe that your own milk is perfectly created individually for your infant. I just wonder about that part…
- rachkap replied
  
  30 Jul 2013 , 1:31 am
  I’d like to know the answer to that as well!
  - nabos replied
    
    20 Aug 2013 , 10:46 am
    
    You are certainly right that breast milk is very unique. In fact breast milk not only differs between women and between feeds, but between each breast too! (I think that is amazing) Some breast feeding mothers will notice their baby may prefer one breast over the other. I actually spoke with some mother who used donor milk in researching this blog (which was so interesting), and had asked if her child, about 2 years old (with metabolic disorders), had a favourite donor – she preferred colostrum (immature breast milk).
    In terms of the relevance of this for milk banks, the idea is that human breast milk, despite not being the same unique composition the mother would provide, would still be more suitable than a cows milk based formula.
    Thanks for your comments
    Nikki @ The Kids Menu
- - kate_reid said
  - 10 Jul 2013
    1:16 pm
Hmm, I was surprised to see the comments that suggest the article was meant to criticize mothers who couldn’t breastfeed- I didn’t read that at all. We know from decades of research that its best for babies to be breastfed, but infant formula has saved countless babies lives by providing nutrition when breastfeeding didn’t work.
- nabos replied
  
  20 Aug 2013 , 10:49 am
  Thanks so much Kate – it certainly wasn’t my intention to offend anyone but rather highlight the importance of breast milk and promote the idea of alternative options for mother who are unable to feed their child (i.e donor/milk banks)
  
  Nikki @ The Kids Menu