 So, in this session we spoke about science of breast milk, breastfeeding, we also spoke about golden hour, why it is important to breastfeed right away as soon as baby is born. Now in coming up in part 3, we are going to talk about importance of breastfeeding. Importance of breast milk, breastfeeding, remember the direct breastfeeding is very important because nowadays many mothers are buying pumps and you know using pumps to give milk to the baby, it will change the gut microbiome ok. I already spoke about importance of gut microbiome, so direct latching is extremely important. Also in the same part, we will also talk about complications of breastfeeding. We have tutorial on both importance of breastfeeding as well as complication of formulas and you know on cow's milk. So, please watch it carefully and understand that you know and pass it on to mothers that information is very important. Those are all evidence based. We have citation of each and every you know sentence that we speak. So, do watch it and let me know how do you like it. Thank you. Welcome to the spoken tutorial about the importance of breastfeeding. In this tutorial, we will learn about importance of breastfeeding, benefits of breastfeeding for the babies and the mothers. Breastfeeding is a vital process. It starts from the birth of a child to its second birthday or beyond. Breastfeeding gives a healthy start of life to the infant. It decides the immediate and future health of a child and the mother. The benefits of it lasts a lifetime for both of them. Even malnourished mothers can breastfeed their baby. During pregnancy, breast size increases. This is due to an increase in the number of milk-producing tissues. However, the final size of the breasts do not affect the milk production amount. Breastfeeding should be initiated within one hour of birth. This increases the supply of breast milk. Therefore, exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months also increases. It further helps in extending breastfeeding beyond two years. The risk of neonatal deaths is low in babies who are breastfed within one hour. Delayed breastfeeding can increase the risk of diseases in newborn babies. For example, diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure. Early initiation of breastfeeding also ensures that the baby receives colostrum. Colostrum is the first milk secreted by the mother after giving birth. For babies, it is a primary source of energy and nutrients. It is important for them, especially in the initial days of their lives. It has a large number of infection fighting elements, vitamin A and good fat. Numerous growth and protective factors are also there in colostrum. Colostrum has a property which helps to remove the old feces faster. Detailed benefits of colostrum are discussed in another tutorial. Please check the website for more details. Remember that exclusive breastfeeding should be done for the first six months. Breast milk is a unique natural food which cannot be duplicated. When the baby completes six months, complimentary food should be started. It should be given along with breastfeeding. Breastfeeding should be continued until two years or beyond. There are many benefits of breastfeeding for the babies. Nutrients and composition of breast milk are ideal for digestion by babies. Through breast milk, babies get antibodies. Antibodies strengthen the immunity of the baby and reduces the risk of infections. Additionally, it prevents allergic reactions in babies. Breast milk also contains growth factors. They help in the development of the lining of the baby's intestine. It promotes the growth of good bacteria in the baby's intestine. Thus, it protects the babies against intestinal inflammation and infection. Similarly, it helps in the development of all other organs of the body. Breastfeeding reduces the risk of diarrhea. Other benefits are prevention of ear infections and tooth decay. Development of jaws and proper alignment of teeth are some other examples. Risk of developing some diseases later in life also gets reduced. For example, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and blood cancer. The risk of respiratory diseases like asthma and pneumonia also gets reduced. Breastfeeding reduces the chances of sudden death in babies below one year of age. The risk of developing atopic eczema is also less in breastfed babies. Eczema is a condition in which skin develops red, itchy and rough patches. Breastfed babies are also less likely to be hospitalised for illness and infections. Breastfed babies have better control over their appetite. Breast milk contains appetite-controlling hormones. Such hormones help the babies listen to their body's hunger and satiety signals. This self-regulation is disturbed in babies who are not breastfed. Eventually, this can lead to overeating, obesity and later diabetes. Breastfeeding also has an effect on the brain. The breast milk has components which help in brain development and maturation. Breastfed children have a higher IQ and other skills. Breast milk benefits premature babies even more. Suckling at the breast improves the breathing in such babies. These babies are at a risk of developing intestinal infection. For example, diarrhea and necrotizing enterocolitis which is known as NEC. NEC is a serious condition caused due to infection and damage to the intestine. Breast milk protects premature babies from this infection. Milk from mothers of premature babies is rich in infection-fighting proteins. It also contains intestinal protective growth-promoting factors. High concentration of specific amino acids and good bacteria is also present. These amino acids are essential for growth in premature infants. Thus, breast milk helps in preventing infections and gaining weight. Breastfeeding reduces long-term problems caused due to premature birth. For example, problems of the lungs and eyes. Thus, premature babies should get a maximum amount of breast milk. Even kangaroo mother care also known as KMC is useful for premature babies. It improves the frequency and duration of breastfeeding in them. Skin-to-skin contact during KMC helps maintain the baby's body temperature. It also helps in stabilizing the baby's heartbeat and oxygen levels in blood. The procedure for kangaroo mother care has been explained in another tutorial. Apart from babies, breastfeeding is beneficial for mothers as well. The benefits are immediate and long-term. Immediate breastfeeding after childbirth helps reduce vaginal bleeding. It increases the level of oxytocin hormone in the body. This helps in expelling the placenta out of the body. As a result, uterus contractions are improved and vaginal bleeding reduces. Thus, anemia can be prevented in mothers. There are psychological advantages of breastfeeding for mothers. Frequent skin-to-skin contact develops bonding between the mother and her baby. This bonding makes the mother ready to breastfeed. Ultimately, it reduces the postpartum stress and depression in mothers. Breastfeeding also has long-term benefits for mothers. It prevents weakening of the bones in the later age. The risk of breast cancer and ovarian cancer also gets reduced. During pregnancy, women gain fat around internal body organs such as stomach, intestine and liver. This fat is hidden in the belly or abdominal region. Excess of this fat can result in insulin resistance, diabetes and obesity. Breastfeeding helps reduce this fat in women. It minimizes the risk of obesity, hypertension and heart diseases. Exclusive breastfeeding can act as a natural birth control. However, couples should use contraception after 6 weeks of delivery. This helps in keeping space between two pregnancies. There are some economical benefits of breastfeeding. Breast milk is available free of cost and is best for the baby. It does not involve money spent on formula milk, bottles and plastic nipples. Extra time is also not spent in preparing breast milk. Hot water, utensils and heating fuel is not required for preparing breast milk. Dirty water or dirty feeding bottles can make the baby sick. Thus, health care costs for the mother and baby is low in the future years. There are several environmental benefits of breastfeeding too. Firstly, breastfeeding does not involve any packaging or transportation. It does not produce any waste, smoke or noise. It reduces pollution by saving global resources and energy. Therefore, breastfeeding is the best option. Mothers should ensure to breastfeed the baby from birth until 2 years of age. This is for the good health of the baby and the mother as well. Breastfeeding requires an understanding of the correct breastfeeding technique. Along with that, adequate support and guidance from the family is necessary too. All of this has been explained in another tutorial of the same series. This brings us to the end of the tutorial. Welcome to the spoken tutorial on comparison of mother's milk with other substitutes. In this tutorial, we will learn about advantages of mother's milk, harmful effects of formula feed and animal milk. Breast milk is a liquid source of complete nutrition. It contains water, carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Various vitamins, minerals, hormones and enzymes are also present in it. This milk provides growth factors and immune protective factors to the infant. Components of mother's milk are discussed in detail in another tutorial. Please visit our website for more details. Let us look at some interesting facts about mother's milk. A mother's milk is specially suited for her own infant. Its composition does not remain constant. It varies as per the changing needs of the growing infant. It changes from feed to feed day to day and month to month. The composition changes even during a single feed. Let us understand this with the help of an example. Mother's milk at the beginning of a feed has protein, sugar and is watery. This helps to quench the infant's thirst. Towards the end of the feed, the milk becomes thick and creamier. It is rich in good fats which helps to keep the infant full and satisfied. The volume of mother's milk also changes depending on the age of the infant. Many mothers choose some alternatives of their milk to feed the infant. For example, formula feed or animal milk. In this tutorial, we will be comparing them with mother's breast milk. First, let us understand what is formula feed. Formula feed is an industrially prepared food product for infants. It is usually in powder or liquid form. They are fed to the infants through bottles, cups or spoons. Formula feeds consist of dehydrated animal milk, soya milk and vegetable oils. Emulsifiers, artificial sugars and preservatives are also added to it. All formula feeds are very expensive. Unlike mother's milk, its composition is not unique for each infant. It is a standard product with the same composition for all the infants. Formula feeds do not have antibodies, living cells and good bacteria. Many of the enzymes get destroyed in processing of formula feeds. Hence, there is a poor absorption of nutrients from them. Formula fed infants have different gut composition than those who are breast fed. This may have a long-term consequence on the infant's health. Formula feeding reduces the growth of good bacteria in the intestine. It promotes the growth of disease-causing bacteria. It also increases the risk of intestinal complications in premature infants. This can lead to the damage and death of intestinal tissue in those infants. Such babies are critical because their intestinal tissue dies. Formula fed infants often have a stomach upset. They may face issues like abdominal gas, bloating and diarrhea. Infants who are formula fed are more likely to get problems of obesity. The risk of developing diabetes and hypertension later in life is also high. The chances of sudden death in formula fed infants below one year of age is high. Bottle feeding also causes breathing through the mouth instead of the nose. All these reasons may increase the risk of sleep apnea. It is a condition in which breathing is interrupted while sleeping. Bottle feeding can result in dental caries and protrusion of the front teeth. The risk of infections is higher in formula fed infants. For example, pneumonia, diarrhea and ear infections. They are more likely to have asthma and wheezing as well. Formula feeding may increase the risk of skin allergies in infants. Negligence in preparing the formula feed correctly can cause more harm. Let's understand this with an example. If too much powder is added to water, it results in dehydration in infants. It can also cause a rise in the body's sodium levels. As a result, the infant can show signs like irritability, lethargy and seizures. High sodium levels also put a load on the immature kidneys of the infant. As mentioned earlier, formula feeds are expensive. To use it economically, mothers may add less powder in excess water. If less powder is used, infants can remain hungry and lead to poor weight gain. Hygiene needs to be maintained while preparing and storing formula feeds. Formula feed has to be prepared in hot and clean water. If prepared in cold and dirty water, it can cause infection in infants. The feeding bottles have to be cleaned and sterilized frequently. If it is poorly cleaned or cleaned with dirty water, it can cause infection. So far we discussed formula feed. Let's now talk about animal milk. Milk from cows, buffaloes, goats, etc. is called as animal milk. Many people think that animal milk can be a substitute for breast milk. However, this is not true. Let me explain to you the reason. The nutrient composition of mother's milk and animal milk differs. Animal's milk has a high amount of a type of protein called casein. It is 6 to 7 times higher as compared to mother's milk. This high casein content of animal milk forms a tough, hard curd. It is difficult for young infants to digest casein. Whereas mother's milk has a high amount of whey protein. It is easier for infants to digest whey protein as compared to casein. Feeding cow's milk to infants increases the risk of an allergy to milk proteins. It may also lead to iron deficiency anemia in infants. Iron deficiency in infants can impair cognitive and physical development. Iron in both animal milk and mother's milk is low. But iron in mother's milk is more easily absorbed than from animal milk. 50% of the iron from mother's milk gets absorbed. Whereas only 10% of the iron gets absorbed from cow's milk. Sometimes allergy to animal milk proteins can cause blood in stools. This may worsen the iron levels in the infant. Animal's milk has low contents of zinc, neacin, vitamin A, C and E. Good fats which are required for brain development are also low in animal milk. Thus breast fed infants have higher IQ than infants fed formula or animal milk. Animal milk contains a high amount of protein, sodium and potassium. It also has high levels of chloride and phosphorus. This may put a load on the immature kidneys of the infants. As a result they may suffer from dehydration. The high phosphate load can lead to calcium deficiency in infants. Animal milk has other disadvantages similar to formula milk. For example, lack of antibodies and good bacteria in them. Hence it is best to avoid animal's milk until the infant is one year old. Compared to animal and formula milk mother's milk has environmental benefits. Animal and formula milk involves processing, packaging and transportation. This can increase the expenses and waste production. A lot of resources and time is also required in its preparation. Whereas mother's milk does not involve packaging or transportation. It does not produce any waste, smoke or noise. There is a risk of spoilage too in animal milk and formula milk. They can get spoiled due to bacterial contamination. Whereas mother's milk is always fresh at a warm temperature. Substituting mother's milk with other milks has adverse effects on her health. Women who do not breastfeed have a high risk of breast and ovarian cancer. The risk of developing other diseases is also high. For example, diabetes, hypertension and heart diseases. Mother's who have breastfed have better cognition at their later age. Mother's who feed formula milk are more likely to retain their pregnancy weight. Hence the risk of obesity is high in them. They are also at a risk of developing bone diseases later in life. This may result in pain and fracture in hip or knees. Postpartum depression can also be seen in them. Note that exclusive breastfeeding can act as a natural birth control. This birth control is ineffective if the mother doesn't breastfeed exclusively. Thus the mother should not substitute her milk with other milks. This increases the chances of less space between two pregnancies. As a result the mother and her infant are at an increased risk of malnutrition. To conclude there is no perfect substitute for mother's milk. Excessive marketing and promotion of mother's milk substitutes are done. As a result there is a decrease in exclusive breastfeeding. However mother's milk is the only best source of nutrition for the infants. It is safe to consume and suited for the infant's changing developmental needs. Breastfeeding has numerous benefits for both infant and the mother. Thus exclusive breastfeeding should be done up to six months. After six months complimentary food should be started along with breastfeeding. Breastfeeding should be continued at least until two years. Correct breastfeeding techniques are explained in other tutorials. Please watch them for effective breastfeeding. This brings us to the end of this tutorial. Thank you for joining.