By Celina Ann Z. Javier
FNRI-DOST S&T Media Service
Breastmilk is the perfect food for babies from birth until six
months because it contains all the nutrients needed by the infant during this
critical period.
The World Health Organization
(WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for infants from birth to six months
and sustaining breastfeeding up to two years of age, while giving appropriate
complementary food starting from the sixth month onwards.
However, many mothers do not
practice exclusive breastfeeding especially during the first six months for a
number of reasons. Some mothers can’t breastfeed because of health problems,
like being infected with HIV, AIDS, tuberculosis, and lymphoma or have inverted
nipples.
Other mothers do not
breastfeed because of a number of invalid reasons, like being too busy to breastfeed
or sometimes because of the pain that comes with breastfeeding. Another common
reason is that mothers do not have enough milk because of being underweight or
being stressed.
According to the 2011
Updating of Nutritional Status of Filipinos, a survey conducted by the Food and
Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology
(FNRI-DOST), 1 out of 10 lactating mothers are undernourished.
Lactating mothers are at-risk
of being underweight because of increased requirement for nutrients due to the
additional need to produce breastmilk without depleting the nutrient in their
tissues. Nutrient supplementation is one of the ways for mothers to meet the
additional nutritional requirements.
Mr. Michael E. Serafico,
Senior Science Research Specialist of the FNRI-DOST, conducted a study to
determine the effect of multiple micronutrient supplementation to breastmilk
nutrients of lactating mothers.
In this study, three groups
of pregnant mothers were given supplements. The first group was given multiple
micronutrient content, the second group with folic acid and iron and the third
group with iron only. Breastmilk was collected from the mothers and analyzed
for retinol or vitamin A, iron, and zinc.
Based on the results, mothers
who received multiple micronutrient had the highest vitamin A, iron, and zinc
concentration in their breastmilk, while those who received iron only had the
lowest nutrient concentration.
The study suggested giving
multiple micronutrient supplements to pregnant and lactating mothers.
Presently, only 14.3 percent
of pregnant mothers take multivitamins with iron while 82.2 percent take iron
supplements, based on the 2011 Updating Survey by the FNRI-DOST.
This study demonstrated that
taking multiple micronutrient supplements can result to quality breastmilk thus
giving such to pregnant and lactating mothers is encouraged.
In addition to nutrient
supplements, the FNRI-DOST recommends that pregnant and lactating mothers
should consume a variety of food to ensure getting enough nutrients.
For more information on food and nutrition contact: Dr.
Mario V. Capanzana, Director, Food and Nutrition Research Institute, Department
of Science and Technology, General Santos Avenue, Bicutan, Taguig City. E-mail:
mcv@fnri.dost.gov.ph, Telefax: 837-2934 and 827-3164, or call: 8372071 local
2296 or visit our website: http://www.fnri.dost.gov.ph.
Comments
Post a Comment