Research Backing Inappropriate Breastfeeding Tendencies - Essay Example

? Research Backing Inappropriate Breastfeeding Tendencies Breastfeeding tendencies are a momentous problem due to the increased roleof women in the workplace and the failure by nurses to educate postpartum mothers on the importance, approaches, and duration to breastfeed their babies. In addition, the span that mothers breastfeed their children were not consistence with the proposed mandatory six-month period with research indicating that some mothers even stopped breastfeeding after only eight weeks. There are many articles that support the solution towards this problem. According to World Health Organization (2009), breast milk is the perfect natural food for babies. According to this article, breast milk is composed of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins that are perfectly mixed appropriate for the development of physiology in babies. Breast milk according to this article, contains protective substances that provide the baby with immunity to diseases. This article shows that during the early stages of the life of the baby, breast milk meets virtually all the nutrients required by the baby and there is no other fluid including water is required noting that breast milk is composed of 88% water which is enough to satisfy the thirst of an infant. This article summarized research showing that infants need to be breastfed exclusively for the first six months. This article indicates that those babies who are exclusively breastfed for period of six months have on average 8.6 times lower risks of the diarrheal illness. In this same article it is recommended that breastfeeding should continue along with the solid food introduction such as complimentary feeding for not less than 23 months. This implies according to this study that the minimum period that is needed to adequately nourish a growing child is 2 years though some parents might wish to continue with breastfeed for a period beyond this. Moreover, the article recommends that breast milk provide at least 50 percent of calories for a child between 6 and 12 months of age, and one-third of calories between 12 and 24 months of age. According to Arifeen et al (2005) deaths that occur due to diarrhea and pneumonia can be reduced by one third among the infants if infants were to be exclusively rather than partially breastfed for a period of the first four months. Unfortunately, 35 percent of infants are exclusively breastfed for a period of six months. According to this article, breastfeeding, as well confers long term and intermediate benefits on both the mother and the child which includes aiding in protecting the child against various acute and chronic disorders. This article indicate that at 6 months of age, increased energy demand of an infant begin to exceed the amount of energy that is provided by the breast milk and that is the time to start introducing foods. Arifeen et al (2005 noted that it might not be proper for a mother to continue breastfeeding exclusively beyond this point. This study indicated that the breastfeeding process needs to be proceeded on demand throughout the entire complimentary feeding period. This is said so because breast milk often provide higher quality of nutrients as compared to the complimentary foods. Moreover, breast milk is a protective factor guarding against childhood diseases and it helps in reducing on the risks of chronic diseases that might come later in life. In this article, the author indicated that at six months of age, the increased energy needs of the infant start to exceed the energy provided by breast milk, so that’s the time to begin to introduce foods.  It is not okay to continue to breastfeed exclusively at this point. At the same time, breastfeeding should still continue on-demand throughout the complementary feeding period (up to 2 years of age) (Arifeen et al, 2005).  Breast milk continues to provide higher quality nutrients than complementary foods, and also protective factors that guard against childhood illness and reduce the risk of chronic diseases later in life (Arifeen et al, 2005). Studies conducted by Rajiv et al (2005) indicate that infants that are not breastfed are on average between six to ten times more likely to fail to survive the first months of their life. Rajiv et al (2005), as well indicate that the formula-fed infants, as well have more risks of long term diseases with the immunological basis including type 1 diabetes, asthma, crohn’s disease, celiac disease, childhood leukemia, and ulcerative colitis. According to this article, heart diseases, high blood pressure and obesity are common during the later stages In the life of infants who are not breastfed and the article shows that the formula-fed kids have on average have a cognitive score of 3 points lower as compared to the breastfed kids. In line with this study, World Health Organization indicate that the mothers breast milk often provide at least fifty percent of calories for the child of age between 6 to 12 months, and one-third of calories ranging between 12 and 24 months. The WHO recommends that breast milk provide at least 50 percent of calories for a child between 6 and 12 months of age, and one-third of calories between 12 and 24 months of age. Conclusively, Reliability and validity. Measurement of reliability and validity of the research cannot be underestimated in any way. In any study, it is the level of reliability and validity that will give the research the needed credibility for its findings to be generalized (Bowling, 2007). In this three examined articles that have addressed this subject, it is clear that they the authors were keen at with the source, the sample size, and the methodology in making sure the studies have meet certain levels of reliability and validity. In this case, some of the factors put in place to ensure that the results are highly reliable and valid included the selection approach used in selecting secondary sources of data for research. In this three articles, the researchers, applied the correct selection mechanism that warrant the data presented being trusted as reliable and valid since there is indication of enough empirical backing. Another factor that makes these studies to be rated as reliable and valid, entails the use of random sampling technique to select members in the sample size. With that technique, the implication is that the researcher did not have control whatsoever over the results. Even more is the extensive reliance on quantitative data analysis method. With quantitative data analysis, figures and values were displayed for all people concerned to have their own calculations to check the accuracy of results. Finally, the studies were based on a compromise to ethical standards such as the confidentiality of respondents. This means that were no any legal issues to litigate the research findings. In some cases, legal litigations lead to the withdrawal of certain components of data, rendering the whole research conclusion compromised and academically paralyzed. References Bowling, A (2007). Research Methods in Health – investigating health and Health Services Open. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Arifeen et al, (2005). Exclusive breastfeeding reduces acute respiratory infection and diarrhea deaths among infants in Dhaka slums. Bull World Health Organ; 83(6): 418–426. Rajiv et al, (2005).Infant feeding patterns and risks of death and hospitalization in the first half of infancy: 83(6): 418–426. World Health Organization, 2009. Infant and young child feeding: Model Chapter for textbooks for medical students and allied health: 108(4):67- 99. Read More