Not infrequently babies who consume breast milk look fatter than babies who are given formula milk. There are some mothers who feel happy with this. However, some others actually worry because it is often said to be at risk of obesity.
The issue that says breast milk triggers obesity babies certainly confuse mothers. On the one hand, breast milk is important for infant growth and development, so babies need to be given exclusive breastfeeding during the first 6 months. On the other hand, there is an issue that says breastfeeding will increase the risk of obesity in infants.
Facts Behind the Assumption that Breast Milk Cause Baby Obesity
In fact, babies who are breastfed really grow faster during the first 3-4 months. But over time, the baby's growth will tend to slow down in line with the increased ability to move.
Even in the first year, babies who are breastfed actually have more ideal body weight than babies who are given formula milk. Entering the age of 2 years, the weight of babies who are breastfed and formula milk will tend to be the same.
So, the issue that breast milk triggers obesity is just a myth. According to research, exclusive breastfeeding, especially with direct breastfeeding, can actually reduce the risk of obesity in infants. This benefit can even last into adulthood.
Reasons for Breastfeeding Reducing the Risk of Obesity
The exact reason for breastfeeding reduces the risk of obesity is unknown. Even so, there are a number of theories put forward:
- Infants who consume breast milk can control their own amount of milk they need, in contrast to formula milk that has a certain dose. This is believed to encourage Little to recognize hunger and satiety.
- Infants who consume exclusive breast milk have lower concentrations of the hormone insulin. This is related, because high insulin levels can trigger fat accumulation which can be a cause of obesity.
- Exclusive breastfeeding infants also have higher levels of the hormone leptin. The leptin hormone is one of the important hormones to inhibit appetite and fat accumulation.
- Infants who breastfeed exclusively are considered to have good bacteria that can maintain the digestive system and this can inhibit obesity.
How to Avoid having Obesity
Despite the fact that babies who consume breast milk have a lower risk for obesity, but to maintain the ideal baby's weight, there are several things that can be done, namely:
Give nutritious food
Infants aged 6 months may be given complementary foods. Now, when starting the provision of complementary foods for breast milk, you should consider the type and amount of food that will be given.
The reason is, giving a baby nutritious food is not balanced, especially high in sugar and calories can actually trigger obesity. To maintain a baby's ideal body weight and to keep growth and development good, give your child food that contains balanced nutrition and in the right amount.
Avoid over-breastfeeding
This case is actually rare, but babies who drink breast milk from a bottle are still at risk of being overweight. This might happen because the drinking process is easier and usually does not need more effort to suck milk from a bottle of milk.
To prevent excessive consumption of milk from bottles, you need to pay attention to pacifiers and observe the signs of the baby when drinking milk. Give breast milk when your child shows signs that he is hungry. Likewise, when breastfeeding directly, Mother should not breastfeed too long or more than 45 minutes.
Mother can be relieved, because the issue of breast milk triggers obesity babies is not right. Breast milk does not necessarily make your child obese in the future.
In addition, Mother is advised not to assess obese babies just because of the number of scales. The reason is, there are ideal baby weight rules that will consider the length and circumference of the body. As long as the baby is still in the safe range and the doctor does not give a warning during a routine checkup, you don't need to worry.
Komentar
Posting Komentar