Breast milk
Breast milk is thought to be best for all babies but particularly a premature or sick baby. It has many health benefits for your baby and you. By choosing to breast milk feed you are contributing in a unique way to both your baby’s health and your own. Only you can produce the breast milk needed for your baby and this makes you very central to your baby’s care. Remember that providing expressed milk for your new baby does not commit you to fully breast feeding. Even small amounts can make a big difference.
Benefits for your baby
The risk of infection is a significant problem for premature and sick babies. This is due to their immature immune systems and to the number of sources of organisms (germs) that they are potentially exposed to from invasive procedures, staff and visitors. Breast milk is full of antibodies (proteins found in blood that fight bacteria and viruses) and enzymes that help protect your baby from infection. You may have heard this said many times before but might not understand the science behind this statement and therefore the particular importance breast milk has for the very vulnerable premature/sick baby.
Breast milk is unique in that when it is ingested by the baby is has certain tasks to carry out within the gut to help reduce infection. Each antibody and enzyme has a different function. See below to understand how each work:
- IgA is an immunoglobulin and is at its highest concentration in colostrum (the first milk). Its main function is to help fight infection in the respiratory tract and gut. It provides a protective coating to the gut which helps reduce the entry of bacteria and viruses through the bowel wall. This is particularly important for a preterm baby as it helps protect them against a very serious bowel condition called Necrotising Enterocolitis. It is also thought to produce antibodies to any harmful organisms that are around your baby’s close environment.
- IgM and IgG are also immunoglobulins and work to fight bacteria and viruses. IgM is at its highest level in the first week after birth but IgG concentration stays the same during the first six months of breast feeding.
- Lactoferin is a protein abundant in breast milk but not in formula milk. In the baby’s gut there are certain harmful organisms that require iron to grow. Lactoferin works by attaching itself to the iron in the gut and therefore makes it unavailable for use by those harmful organisms. This then halts their growth and reduces the risk of developing infection
- Lysozyme is an enzyme and works by attacking the cell walls of bacteria and viruses. It then breaks down the cell so that the bacteria or virus cannot survive.
- Bifidus factor encourages the growth of good bacteria in the gut which in turn reduces the growth of bad bacteria. By doing this it helps protect against organisms such as E coli and salmonella.
- Whey and casein proteins. The unique proportions of these in breast milk make it easier to digest than formula milk. This could mean your baby’s absorption of milk could be better and their feeds could progress quicker.
Even if you are uncertain about breastfeeding, expressing some early colostrum (this is the first milk which contains high levels of antibodies) and breast milk will help provide protection to your baby when they are at their most fragile and need it most. Starting to express does not commit you to months of fully breastfeeding.
The NHS and World Health Organization (WHO) recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life, follow by continued breastfeeding (alongside other foods) until 2 years and beyond.
In the longer term, breastfed babies are thought to suffer from fewer childhood infections such as colds, stomach and ear infections, and have been shown to have better neuro-developmental outcomes.
