Manisa Celal Bayar Neonatologist Faculty Member Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sema Tanrıverdi stated that breast milk provides complete protection for both the baby and the mother and said, “Breast milk has endless, unlimited benefits on the baby. Breast milk is a very useful, living liquid, food. Its content is constantly changing. It also has many benefits for the mother.”
With the cooperation of Manisa Celal Bayar University Hafsa Sultan Hospital and Manisa Celal Bayar University Faculty of Health Sciences, health professionals opened a stand in the outpatient department of the hospital and informed new mothers about breast milk. Pointing out that the first 6 months are important in breast milk, the team underlined that continuous milking is necessary for breast milk to come. Manisa Celal Bayar University Hafsa Sultan Hospital Department of Pediatrics-Neonatology (Neonatology) Specialist Faculty Member Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sema Tanrıverdi made important statements about breast milk.
“The content of breast milk is constantly changing”
Speaking to İHA reporter, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tanrıverdi said, “Breast milk is the only food that meets all the needs, physiological, psycho-social needs of the baby in the first 6 months of life, when growth and development is the fastest. Breast milk has endless, unlimited benefits on the baby. Apart from its nutritional properties, it protects the baby against infections and has protective properties against cancer, leukemia, diabetes and cardiac diseases that may occur in the future. It also has many benefits for the mother. In mothers who breastfeed immediately after birth, it reduces postpartum bleeding and allows the uterus to recover faster. It is also known to be protective against breast and ovarian cancer that may occur in the mother in the future. Many associations, such as the World Health Organization, recommend starting breastfeeding immediately after birth, giving only breast milk for the first 6 months, and continuing breastfeeding with complementary appropriate foods after the 6th month until the age of 2. We especially recommend breastfeeding. In very low-weight babies born prematurely, especially in intensive care units, breast milk should be expressed when the mother cannot breastfeed. In this respect, families need to be informed about expressing, storing and transporting breast milk to the intensive care unit. Breast milk is a very useful, living liquid and food. Its content is constantly changing. It changes according to the age of the baby, the gestational week and the physiological structure of the baby. Especially in premature babies, the baby cannot get enough nutrients and immune factors because it is born in the last week of pregnancy without completing its development. Therefore, it is even more special and important here. Therefore, we recommend giving only breast milk for the first 6 months.”
“It strengthens the bond between mother and baby”
Noting that the benefits of breast milk are countless, Tanrıverdi concluded his statement as follows: “No matter which birth the mother has, of course we want a normal birth, but even if it is a cesarean birth, the mother and baby should be in skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth and the baby should be breastfed in the first 30 minutes. Breast milk contains both pain-reducing substances and strengthens the bond between mother and baby. There are also calming substances for the baby. Mothers are afraid, whether the baby's blood sugar will drop, whether it will be insufficient. In the first week of the firstborn babies, the baby's stomach is the size of a cherry, and this should be explained to the mothers.”
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