Most of the breastfeeding mothers do not follow a proper diet plan, is revealed in a new study. The quality of milk a breast feeding mother makes wholly depend upon the diet she takes. Ninety four percent mothers do not consume suggested amount of vitamin, irons, fats and proteins. Food consumed by breast feeding mother not only helps in producing milk but it also fulfills the nutritional requirements during postnatal period.
Pregnant women who do not eat or drink properly may give birth to a healthy baby, but it would be harmful for her own health. After birth the first priority of the women’s body is to produce milk for the infant but due to lack of diet during pregnancy it becomes tough for body to produce sufficient amount of milk for the newborn baby.
To confirm the link between nutritional diet and breastfeeding Spanish researchers collected hundred milk samples from thirty four breastfeeding mothers. The breastfeeding mothers were give a survey on their nutritional intake that covered the period three days before the samples were taken. The aim of survey was to compare the nutritional intake with suggested intake in order to find out shortage and to improve infant’s intake of nutrients.
They found that ninety percent of the mothers were not following a proper diet plan. Breastfeeding mothers were not eating the suggested amounts of protein, vitamins, fats and iron. Some were eating too much of protein in their diet. Most of the breastfeeding mothers were consuming few calories due to low consumption of fats. They are suggested to increase daily intake of calories by three to five hundred calories.
At the same time most of the breastfeeding mothers were consuming too much protein. Eighty eight percent were not getting required amount of vitamin A in their diet, while ninety nine percent were not getting required amount of vitamin E.
Healthy method of feeding newborn baby is with mother’s milk. Breastfeeding mothers can considerably improve the composition of breast milk by optimizing their diet by following international recommendations, explain the researchers from the University of Granada.