Newborn Nutrition Teaching Presentation

Milk is a crucial source of nutrients for newborn infants. It is therefore important for
mothers to get the necessary knowledge pertaining to how best to breastfeed and look after their
newborns' nutritional wellbeing. It is recommended for infants to get about 110kcal/kg daily
during the initial three months. Breast milk is crucial for newborns since it contains the necessary
calories and nutrients that are required to fulfill this requirement. It also has bioactive factors
which enhance an infant’s immunity system (Binns, Lee & Low, 2016). This system provides
protection against any infection or factors that help in absorbing and digesting nutrients. When a
baby is born, estrogen and progesterone levels tend to decrease while the level of prolactin
increases (Couto, Dias & de Jesus Oliveira, 2020). The physiology that influences or affects
breastfeeding is dependent on delicate hormonal balances. Such hormones help new mothers to
produce nutritious breast milk.
After birth, sudden hormonal changes usually signal a rise in breast milk production.
During the initial few days following delivery, newborns usually receive small quantities of
colostrum that was produced during the pregnancy. The breast starts producing milk for the
infant following the exhaustion of colostrum levels which normally occurs after around two
days. The mother’s pituitary gland releases oxytocin and prolactin hormones after eight weeks
(Ross-Cowdery et al., 2017). The prolactin hormone is the one that is credited with triggering the
glands to generate milk, while the other hormone, oxytocin, triggers a reflex that generates milk
into the milk ducts. The role of progesterone and estrogen is to enhance the size of breasts and
the total number of milk ducts that are found within the breasts (Couto, Dias & de Jesus Oliveira,
2020). These two crucial hormones are the ones that are responsible for preventing the body
from generating more milk during pregnancy. The volume of these hormones within the body
reduces whenever a baby is born, which signals the mammary glands to produce milk. Prolactin

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is the primary hormone that helps a mother’s breasts to generate milk during breastfeeding
(Ross-Cowdery et al., 2017). Whenever the levels of prolactin in the body reduce, there is a
notable decrease in milk supply. This decrease is achieved through a process that is referred to as
the milk ejection reflex.
The primary goal of breastfeeding is to improve the general happiness and wellbeing of
infants, women, and families. Breastfeeding significantly enhances an infant's immune system.
Breast milk provides crucial nutritional elements like enzymes, antioxidants, immunological
properties, and live bodies from the nursing mom. The mother’s more resilient immune system
generates antibodies against any foreign bodies that she and her child have come in contact with.
The antibodies are contained in breast milk and help in protecting the baby from illnesses that
commonly affect newborns. The other benefit of breast milk is that it contains substances that are
instrumental in soothing infants.
Breastfeeding is not only beneficial to newborns since the mother also derives significant
benefits from regular breastfeeding. It promotes quicker weight loss after birth. This is because it
helps to burn around five hundred extra calories per day during the process of building and
maintaining milk supply (Ross-Cowdery et al., 2017). The other benefit is that it stimulates the
mother’s uterus to contract and return to its previous size. Breastfeeding has also been linked to
less risk of postpartum depression and more positive moods (Ross-Cowdery et al., 2017). This is
because the process of breastfeeding produces oxytocin and prolactin. These are hormones that
help in promoting positive feelings and stress reduction in the nursing mom.

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References

Binns, C., Lee, M., & Low, W. Y. (2016). The long-term public health benefits of
breastfeeding. Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health, 28(1), 7-14.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1010539515624964
Couto, G. R., Dias, V., & de Jesus Oliveira, I. (2020). Benefits of exclusive breastfeeding: An
integrative review. Nursing Practice Today, 7(4), 245-254.
https://doi.org/10.18502/npt.v7i4.4034
Ross-Cowdery, M., Lewis, C. A., Papic, M., Corbelli, J., & Schwarz, E. B. (2017). Counseling
about the maternal health benefits of breastfeeding and mothers’ intentions to
breastfeed. Maternal and child health journal, 21(2), 234-