Can Breastfeeding Be Harmful to Baby - Essay Example

Have You Ever Thought that Breastfeeding Could be Actually Harmful for Your Baby? Read this and Find Out By Location Breastfeeding is an amazing way of feeding your baby. The health experts recommend that mothers should breastfeed their babies for at least six months (American Academy of Paediatrics 1997, p. 1036). A study in Philippines reported that breastfeeding transfers antibodies from the mother that protects the infants from illness. A huge number of deaths have been reported in cases where the infants are fed on artificial foods instead of being breastfed. The study in Philippines indicated that the formula-fed infants have eight to ten times risk of dying as compared to the breastfed babies (La Leche League International, Gwen, and, Torgus 2004, p. 350). Therefore, breastfeeding is important to the health of the babies until they reach the recommended age for introduction of the artificial foods. However, it will be a surprise to find out that new studies show that breastfeeding might be associated with hyperbilirubinemia. Although the studies have not conclusively implicated breastfeeding to hyperbilirubinemia, considerable evidence indicates that feeding a baby on breast milk can cause the illness. Hyperbilirubinemia is an illness that causes the red blood cells in your body to breakdown, and release a substance known as bilirubin into the blood. Bilirubin refers to the yellow substance in the blood, and it is a by-product of the breakdown of haemoglobin contained in the red blood cells (Lindh 2010, p. 919). Haemoglobin supports the transportation of oxygen in the red blood cells. It is noteworthy that the liver breaks down the old red blood cells. The high levels of the bilirubin in the bloodstream cause the yellowing of the skin and the white parts of the eye. The condition that causes the eyes and skin to turn yellow is known as jaundice (Lindh 2010, p. 919). Although bilirubin does not affect the infants, the accumulation of the by-product can be toxic to your bodies. It is advisable for babies to receive treatment after their delivery. The accumulation of bilirubin is referred to as hyperbilirubinemia, which new studies have associated with breastfeeding in infants. Many pregnant mothers, friends, and family members do not know the issues surrounding breastfeeding as brought forth by the new studies. Similarly, the healthcare providers have limited knowledge regarding the negative realities of breastfeeding. Likewise, the popular lifestyle magazines have not captured the new facts as revealed by continued research on the breastfeeding. Specifically, the association of breastfeeding with the development of the hyperbilirubinemia is new to both medical practitioners and the common people. Although it is not prudent to discourage mothers from breastfeeding their babies, it is important to present the facts in order to impart knowledge to them. A study conducted in March 2011 at the Taiwan University Children’s Hospital showed that breastfeeding accounts for the development of hyperbilirubinemia in neonates. The results of the study indicated that the breastfed infants have a higher risk of contracting hyperbilirubinemia as compared to the formula-fed neonates (Pi-Feng, Yu-Cheng, Kevin, Shu-Jen, and Yen-Hsuan 2011, p. 563). On top of this, the breastfed neonates develop complications such as jaundice due to the accumulation of the bilirubin in the bloodstream. According to the findings of the study, breast milk is a risk factor that predisposes infants to develop the hyperbilirubinemia (Pi-Feng, Yu-Cheng, Kevin, Shu-Jen, and Yen-Hsuan 2011, p. 564). In effect, infants that have mutations in certain genes have high chances of contracting hyperbilirubinemia after being breastfed. Therefore, a change in genetic composition is attributable to the development of the hyperbilirubinemia. If breastfed infants have a change in genetic material, they can become victims of the hyperbilirubinemia. The study at the Taiwan University Children’s Hospital raises interesting findings on the association of the breastfeeding with contracting of hyperbilirubinemia. Notably, the findings showed that about 5 and 12 percent of the breastfed infants had a higher bilirubin than the babies that were formula-fed (Pi-Feng, Yu-Cheng, Kevin, Shu-Jen, and Yen-Hsuan 2011, p. 563). In fact, the levels of the bilirubin of the formula-fed infants ranged between 0.6 to 2 percent. It is reported that about twenty-four percent of the breast-fed neonates who participated in the study had hyperbilirubinemia. The remaining percentage did not have the condition at the onset of the study and served as a control group. It is noteworthy that birth weight, sex, percent of weight loss, and mode of delivery did not have any significant difference between the control and the study groups (Pi-Feng, Yu-Cheng, Kevin, Shu-Jen, and Yen-Hsuan 2011, p. 562). The results indicated that the breastfed babies that had certain changes in the genetic makeup tended to develop hyperbilirubinemia. Therefore, certain changes in the particular genes of the breastfed infants predispose them to the development of the hyperbilirubinemia. The mode of delivery of the babies increases the chances of developing hyperbilirubinemia. Notably, the mothers that deliver babies through the natural vaginal route expose the infants to the development of the hyperbilirubinemia (Pi-Feng, Yu-Cheng, Kevin, Shu-Jen, and Yen-Hsuan 2011, p. 564). The vaginal delivery uses a hormone called oxytocin. Oxytocin is important in the relaxation and contraction of the uterus during the process of delivering a baby. However, the hormone is one of the factors that predispose infants to the accumulation of bilirubin to toxic levels. This is because the hormone affects the breakdown of the bilirubin. Mothers are advised to deliver through the caesarean route in order to protect the babies from the development of jaundice. Babies delivered through caesarean birth receive supplements that protect them from hyperbilirubinemia. It is now important to rethink whether to breastfeed babies or to introduce them to the formula foods. While acknowledging that the breastfeeding protects the babies from infections, a new study compels the medical experts to advise mothers or come up with methods of managing the accumulation of the bilirubin in the bloodstream of infants. Although many studies have not been done conclusively on the association of breastfeeding and the hyperbilirubinemia, the isolated researches should be an alarm to examine the issue. Protection of babies from the undesirable effects of the accumulation of the bilirubin is thus important. The health of your baby is paramount. You should ensure that hyperbilirubinemia does not disrupt the quality life of your babies. The right information facilitates devising of strategies that can minimise the occurrence of hyperbilirubinemia in infants. This is a challenge to the healthcare providers to ensure babies live a quality life. Babies are equally important as adults, and deserve the best life. Bibliography American Academy of Paediatrics, 1997, Work Group on Breastfeeding: Breastfeeding and the use of human milk. Pediatrics, Vol. 100 No. 6, pp. 1035-1039. La Leche League International, Gwen, G., and, Torgus, J., 2004, The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, Plume, London. Lindh, W. Q., 2010, Delmars clinical medical assisting, Delmar Cengage Learning, New York. Pi-Feng, C., Yu-Cheng, L., Kevin, L., Shu-Jen, Y., and Yen-Hsuan, N., 2011, Risk of Hyperbilirubinemia in Breastfed Infants, Journal of Pediatrics, Vol. 159 No. 4, pp. 561-565. . Read More