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LACTATION

LACTATION. HUMAN LACTATION: Mammals perfected milk for their young over millions of years of evolution. Each species has the perfect milk for its own young, for optimal adaptation to environmental demands. Chemical composition very varied.

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LACTATION

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  1. LACTATION HUMAN LACTATION: • Mammals perfected milk for their young over millions of years of evolution. • Each species has the perfect milk for its own young, for optimal adaptation to environmental demands. Chemical composition very varied. • Twentieth century massive experiment on humans: using another species’ milk. Too recent to know long-term consequences.

  2. LACTATION Lactation Hormones: • Prolactin: • pituitary stimulates breast glands to produce milk. Levels of prolactin increase during gestation. • Oxytocin: • pituitary releases it as a response to stimulation of nipple and areola. Oxytocin contracts alveoli of breast glands, releasing milk into ducts. “Let down” reflex, milk ejected through nipple openings. Production of both hormones responds to demand: more sucking, more hormonal output.

  3. LACTATION • Physiological mechanism: • Infant’s suckling stimulates nipple • Neural stimulus reaches mother’s hypothalamus • Hypothalamus stimulates pituitary • Pituitary releases oxytocin • Oxytocin contracts mammary gland • Milk is released into milk ducts and to nipple • Colostrum • Amount of milk produced is positively correlated with amount of suckling.

  4. LACTATION • Advantages for infant: • Nutritional: • smooth adaptation period from intra to extra-uterine life (shortened gestation – 9 months instead of 12 as other primates) • perfected over millions of years of evolution, right amounts of the right nutrients • species-specific: each species has different developmental needs

  5. LACTATION • Advantages for infant: • Nutritional (Cont’d): • living tissue that changes according to infant’s needs (age, growth spurt, environmental temperature, pathogens) • different composition for premies • brain development: cisteine, taurine, docosahexanoic acid, arachidonic acid, other aminoacids and nucleotides

  6. LACTATION • Advantages for infant: • Nutritional (Cont’d): • non-allergenic • 100% digestible, no waste • lower renal solute • unlikely to overfeed due to changing composition through a feed: lower risk of later obesity • bioavailability of nutrients

  7. LACTATION • Immunological advantages: • fresh antibodies in each drop (infant has immature immune system) • macrophages, lymphocytes, neutrophiles • mammary gland makes antibodies in situ when a new pathogen appears in the environment • enteromammary antibodies • bronchomammary antibodies

  8. LACTATION • Immunological advantages (Cont’d): • lactobacillus bifidus prevents gut colonization by harmful bacteria • lactoferrin kills staph and E-coli • B12 transfer factor starves bacteria • antiviral factor • interferon • Therefore: lower morbidity and mortality

  9. LACTATION • Other advantages: • much lower SIDS incidence • better oral health • better oral cavity conformation • secure, happy • bonding, closeness • better skin • better smell (hair, skin, excretions) • long term health • good foundation for attachment

  10. LACTATION • Benefits for lactating mother: • uterus back to pre-pregnant state due to oxytocin-induced contractions • contraception** • breast cancer protection • skeletal calcium deposits (lower osteoporosis risk) • weight loss • stress control (hormonal) • economic • convenience • bonding • empowerment, self-assurance • pleasure • lower incidence of rheumatoid arthritis • lower incidence of Type II diabetes • delays recurrence of MS (Multiple Sclerosis)

  11. LACTATION Other advantages of breastfeeding: • Protection against some cancers for both mother and infant. • Lessens the risk of heart disease later in life (for infant). • Non-breastfed infants have higher cholesterol levels in adolescence. • Positive effect on bone mineral density for both mother and infant. More efficient calcium absorption.

  12. LACTATION Other advantages of breastfeeding (Cont’d): • Breastfed infants score higher on the psychomotor and mental scales of the Bayley Scales. • Reduced dental caries in breastfed infants. • Protection and enhancement of vision for infants. • Two months of breastfeeding resulted in absence of coronary artery disease in adolescents.

  13. LACTATION Other advantages of breastfeeding (Cont’d): • Better lipid absorption. Lipids (fats) are necessary for brain development and cell membrane health. • Significantly lower cholesterol in 30-year-old adults who were breastfed for six months. • Because of the chemical composition of cow’s milk-based formula, iron is less bioavailable. Adding iron to infant’s diet often causes intestinal bleeding, which leads to loss of iron. • Composition of human milk changes every few minutes during a feed. E.g. much higher fat content after some 20 minutes. This causes baby to stop nursing, or nurse shallowly, therefore not overfeeding.

  14. LACTATION ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS: • Packaging of formulas: cans, bottles, rubber nipples, labels (thousands of tons of plastic, metal, paper, etc. each). • Pollution of land and groundwater, toxic fumes on incineration. • Like all cattle-based food, significant contribution to pollution, acid rain, deforestation and soil erosion. • Industrial processing to produce formulas uses vast quantities of energy, natural resources.

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