Australian Infants: Nutrition and Breastfeeding - Assignment Example

Australian Infants: Nutrition and Breastfeeding Purpose of the Report This report is written to analyze and emphasize the importance of nutrition and breastfeeding to the infants and how efforts by the nursing profession to uphold observance to its good practice contribute to the national effort of promoting health and preventing illness in the Australian population. With the aid of existing peer-reviewed related literature, the paper will examine how identified contributing factors, the determinants of health, and its effects on the family and the community as a whole result to its utilization (or not) and how the roles of nurses affects it or become affected by it. Introduction The Australian Breastfeeding Association and many other bona fide health institutions around the world consider breastfeeding as the best feeding practice that mothers are encouraged to comply to ensure optimal health and well-being of their children (“Why Breastfeeding is,” 2005; World Health Organization (WHO), n.d.a) -- and suggested positive effects have indeed inspired many to do so. Besides providing nutrition, breast milk is also believed to help spare a baby from a range of illnesses. In the year 2004, the Federal Government received a report about the alarming trend of the decline in breastfeeding rates among mothers as their babies reach the first few months (as cited in Godfrey, 2009). As a result, the Department of Health and Aging introduced the Australian National Breastfeeding Strategy 2010-2015 in response to the perceived threat to the health of the young Australians which is “recognized as a matter of national importance” (National Public Health Partnership (NPHP), 2004). As health providers, it is the responsibility of nurses to perform their designated roles in advocating proper breastfeeding practices and nutrition among infants in the community level in support to the thrust of promoting health and preventing illness in the population. Definition of Terms Exclusive Breastfeeding - “Breastfeeding while giving no other food or liquid, not even water” (Qiu, Zhao, Binns, Lee, & Xie, 2009). Complementary Feeding - “Complementary feeding refers to feeds that are given after 6 months of age when breast milk along does not provide adequate nutrition to the growing infant” (Bhat, 2009, p. 43). Background of the Report Despite the fact that Australia is indeed one of the healthiest countries in the whole world, it cannot be denied that it still suffers from major health problems like most, if not all, of the countries around the world do. What makes Australia’s health status unique, however, is the presence of a considerable socioeconomic status diversity between its mainstream and Indigenous populations (Moodie, Harper, and Oldenburg, 2008, p. 4). Because it is important that each child in Australia acquires good health regardless of economic status (NPHP, 2004, p. 8), national health surveys have been made bases for the development of current public policies like the National Breastfeeding Strategy and programs of some non-government organization such as the Centre for Community Child Health (CCCH) and the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative or currently known as Baby Friendly Health Initiative (BFHI) among others in answer to this social dilemma (Australian Health Ministers’ Conference (AHMC), 2009; CCCH, 2006; BFHI, n.d.). The Strategy has been introduced as the national government’s major step to protect, promote, support, and monitor breastfeeding practices of the childbearing population through the office of the Australian Health Minister and in collaboration with other organizations, health professionals and institutions, the community, and all related associations in local, state, and national levels. This dynamism shows their recognition of “the biological, health, social, cultural, environmental and economic importance of breastfeeding” as the optimal nutritional source for infants in their first six months (AHMC, 2009) as well as their nutrition throughout the rest of the infancy period via complementary feeding. Discussion Adequate nutrition is important for babies, especially during the first year of their existence, and is considered to be vital in determining “immediate and long-term health outcomes” (National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC), 2003, p. 1). Because it has been known that inappropriate feeding practices in infants have resulted to more than half of the total death rate of those with malnutrition-related causes of the zero-to-five-year-old age group, the United Nations organization through the United Nation’s Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and World Health Organization (WHO) established international policies on proper nutrition and breastfeeding practices for babies in their first year of life which is mandated over its member countries, including Australia, to decrease the disadvantages caused by this health threat (AHMC, 2009, p. 24). These policies encompasses exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months “with timely initiation of adequate, safe and properly fed complementary foods (complementary feeding) while continuing breastfeeding” (WHO, n.d.b). Aside from the right nutrition that breast milk provides for babies, authorities believe that breastfeeding is a direct act of promoting better health and preventing illnesses in the children’s later life. According to CCCH (2006), benefits of breastfeeding to babies include “the provision of all nutrients necessary for adequate physical and mental development; a degree of protection against some common childhood infections such as gastroenteritis, otitis media, urinary tract infection, juvenile onset of insulin-diabetes and respiratory infections; decreased risk of sudden infant death syndrome; (and) improved brain development when compared with formula-fed infants” (p. 9). Additionally, breastfeeding promotes uterine contraction after birth preventing severe blood loss in mothers. It also decreases the risk for abnormal weight gain as well as the development of cancers in ovary and breasts in addition to the development of an unparalleled maternal and child bonding (CCCH, 2006, p. 9). After six months, good nutrition will be complemented with sufficient nutritious food that will aid in proper physical growth “consistent with the expected norms for age, sex and stage of physiological maturity” and mental or intellectual, emotional, and social development (NHMRC, 2003, p. 22). As it has been mentioned earlier, proper nutrition and breastfeeding of infants result to better total well-being of the family and hence, the community and the larger picture of the population, and vice versa. Betterment of health through activities relating to these efforts are said to contribute to the improvement in the determinants of health which has been prescribed by the WHO and other august health institutions. These indicators are comprised of the “social and economic environment, the physical environment, and the person’s individual characteristics and behaviors” (WHO, n.d.c). For example, studies conducted in the different localities and states in Australia support that women from low social economic strata are less likely to adopt proper nutrition and breastfeeding practices due to lack of family and social support, and poor educational background, among others (Amir & Donath, 2008; McIntyre, Hiller, & Turnbull, 2001, p. 13; McIntyre, Hiller, & Turnbull, 1999). Hence, poor financial status begets poor health outcomes. In the same way, adequate financial income, good physical and social environment, and accessible services related to health care provision result to better health of the community. As the Australian government considers the health of its citizens as one of its prime priorities, support in terms of policies and services for proper nutrition and breastfeeding as programs on health promotion and illness prevention through the Community and Primary Health Care, the frontline of Australia’s health care system, with the initiatives of the Department of Health and Ageing, must be dependable and constant. This will allow health professionals, especially nurses, who are assumed to be knowledgeable in formulating, applying and delivering health services in response to existing conditions (e.g., malnutrition) and in relation to the health determinants (e.g., poor sanitation), will act as appropriately to uphold promotion of health and preventing illnesses of the infants in local communities. Conceivably, this will bring a positive change in the total population’s health image in consideration with their physical, socioeconomic, culture, and environment status. Recommendation Since primary health care basically deals with “health promotion, the prevention of illness and community development” (“Primary Health Care,” n.d.), it is then necessary for health care providers to gain accurate knowledge in incorporating efforts to address not only the existing physical health conditions and issues but also those that cause it (e.g., poor sanitation and environment, low social and economic status, and other characteristics unique to each person that result to inability to achieve optimal health). Specifically, nurses must learn how to provide evidence-based primary health nursing care to the community that are composed of individuals and families who are in different stages of life, with distinct personalities and physical make up, and have diverse cultural and economic backgrounds (Australian Nursing & Midwifery Council, 2005, p.1). As a collaborator, leader of positive change, educator and advocate of health, he or she must bear the competence in working with the different members of the society to aid in destroying the barriers in social, economic, and physical environments which have led or can lead to the existence of a health inequality (“Primary Health Care,” n.d.; Australian Nursing & Midwifery Council, 2005, pp. 1-2). Conclusion The health inequality that can result from the poor practice of breastfeeding and inappropriate nutrition is a perceived threat that is foreseen to affect not only a specific number of children and future adults but also their families and the whole community. Therefore, through the cumulative efforts of the members of the society themselves and with the assistance of nurses, the rest of the primary health care team, and the other authorities involved, programs in promoting health and preventing illness in specific age groups such as upholding proper nutrition and breastfeeding practices for Australian infants shall be effective in alleviating disparities in health not only within the specific group but also the rest of the Australian population. References Amir, L. H., & Donath, S. M. (2008). Socioeconomic status and rates of breastfeeding in Australia: evidence from three recent national health surveys. Medical Journal of Australia, 189 (5), 254-256. Australian Breastfeeding Association. (n.d.). Why breastfeeding is important. Retrieved from http://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/bfinfo/general.html Australian Health Ministers’ Conference (AHMC). (2009). The Australian national breastfeeding strategy 2010-2015. Canberra, ACT: Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing. Australian Nursing & Midwifery Council. (2005, December). National competency standards for the registered nurse. Dickson, ACT: ANMC. Baby friendly health initiative (BFHI). (n.d.). Protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding in Australia. Retrieved from http://www.bfhi.org.au/ Bhat, S. B. (2009) Nutrition: normal nutrition and malnutrition. In S. B. Bhat (Ed.), Achars textbook of pediatrics (4th Ed) (pp. 35-54). Hyderabad, India: Universities Press (India) Private Limited. Centre for Community Child Health (CCCH). (2006). Breastfeeding promotion: practice resource. Retrieved from http://www.rch.org.au/emplibrary/ccch/ PR_Bfeed_all.pdf#xml=http://www.rch.org.au/cgi-bin/ texis/webinator/search/pdfhi.txt?query=breastfeeding&pr=rchmelb_ ext&prox=page&rorder=500&rprox=500&rdfreq=500&rwfreq=500&rlead=500&rdepth=0&sufs=0&order=r&cq=&id=4c862a0011 Godfrey, A. (2009, November 2009). Your say on the national breastfeeding strategy. News.com.au. Retrieved from http://blogs.news.com.au/naughtycorner/index.php/news/ comments/your_say_on_the_national_breastfeeding_strategy/ McIntyre, E., Hiller, J. E., Turnbull, D. (1999, April). Determinants of infant feeding practices in a low socio-economic area: identifying environmental barriers to breastfeeding. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 23 (2), 207-209. McIntyre, E., Hiller, J. E., Turnbull, D. (2001, March). Attitudes towards infant feeding among adults in a low socioeconomic community: what social support is there for breastfeeding? Breastfeeding Review, 9 (1), 13-24. Moodie, R., Harper, T., & Oldenburg, B. (2008, October 6). A national agency promoting health and preventing illness: an options paper commission by the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission. Retrieved from http://www.health.gov.au/internet/nhhrc/publishing.nsf/Content/ 16F7A93D8F578DB4CA2574D7001830E9/$File/national-agency-promoting-health-illness.pdf National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC). (2003, April 10). Dietary guidelines for children and adolescents in Australia incorporating the infant feeding guidelines for health workers. Canberra, ACT: Commonwealth of Australia. National Public Health Partnership. (2004, July). Healthy children - strengthening promotion and prevention across Australia: developing a national public health action plan. Canberra, ACT: Australian Government Printing Service. Primary health care. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.phcris.org.au/infobytes/about_phc.php Qiu, L., Zhao, Y., Binns, C., Lee, A. H., & Xie, X. (2009). Initiation of breastfeeding and prevalence of exclusive of breastfeeding at hospital discharge in urban suburban and rural areas of Zhejiang, China. International Breastfeeding Journal, 4 (1). Why breastfeeding is important. (2005). Retrieved from http://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/bfinfo/general.html World Health Organization (WHO). (n.d.a). Breastfeeding. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/topics/breastfeeding/en/ World Health Organization (WHO). (n.d.b). Promoting proper feeding for infants and young children. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/infantfeeding/en/index.html World Health Organizastion (WHO). (n.d.c). The determinant of health. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/hia/evidence/doh/en/ Read More