here are the 5 benefits of breastfeeding (and how to practice it well), according to a childcare worker

The benefits of breastmilk are no longer to be demonstrated. Digestion, development, nutrition, good health… breastfed babies are often better protected than others, as several studies have proven. As for the premature babies or some children born at term but with a malformation or pathology requiring special medical care, the benefits of breast milk are all the more effective. Elise Chenel, pediatric nurse in the neonatal intensive care and pediatrics department at the Robert Debré Hospital in Paris, and lactation consultant, explains why.

The expert begins by clarifying one thing: “breastfeeding is particularly beneficial for all children cared for in neonatology, the intensive care unit for children who are sick at birth”. This therefore concerns not only premature children, who born up to 33 weeks of amenorrhea (SA), but also those born at term “but who need care or resuscitation operations because they have particular malformations or pathologies diagnosed before or after birth“, indicates the childcare nurse.

Breast milk, a “real medicine” for premature or sick babies

For these babies, “the benefits are such that mothers’ milk is used as a real medicine”, she reveals. Here is why, according to Elise Chenel, “there is major interest” to make the most fragile newborns drink breast milk. If it is necessary “promote as much as possible feeding children with their own mother’s milk”it is possible, for those who cannot or do not want to breastfeed, to feed them with another breast milk.

• “If the mother has milk right away, she breastfeeds or expresses her milk”, she says. In fact, not all mothers want to breastfeed and not all children are able to breastfeed regularly enough (or at all) because of their state of health. The milk is then stored in a refrigerator before pasteurizing it and giving it to the child in a bottle.
• “If the mother does not have milk right away, while waiting for lactation to begin, we can use lactarium milk”, explains the expert. This is milk collected from women who agree to donate it. It is then pasteurized and redistributed to hospitals that need it. “This is also an opportunity to remember that this gift is precious”she insists

What are the benefits of breast milk?

As Elise Chenel reminds us, the benefits of breast milk on sick or premature babies have been proven by numerous studies. Here are the top 5:

• It facilitates digestion : breast milk, ideally suited to infants, is easier for premature babies to digest than artificial formulas. “Its proteins are directly assimilable and it contains enzymes which promote the digestion of fats,” indicates the specialist. It therefore reduces the risk of common gastrointestinal problems
• It strengthens the immune system : Breast milk contains antibodies and other immune components that help protect premature babies or babies with immature immune systems against infections, which can be particularly dangerous for this type of public.

• It promotes growth and development : “breast milk is rich in essential nutrients, especially good proteins, such as immunoglobulins”, but also in fats and minerals. All this promotes the optimal growth and development of premature or sick babies and helps them catch up with their intrauterine growth delay.
• It reduces the risk of complications : His studies have shown that premature babies fed breast milk are less likely to develop certain serious complications associated with prematurity, such as sepsis, retinopathy of prematurity and chronic lung disease.
• It protects the digestive system : Breast milk contains growth factors and bioactive components that promote the maturation of the digestive system of premature babies, which may reduce the risk of gastrointestinal problems such as gastroesophageal reflux disease.

How to practice breastfeeding properly when you have a premature or sick baby?

Knowing that breast milk has real benefits for premature or sick babies is one thing, but you still need to know how to (properly) go about it. Don’t panic, here are Elise Chenel’s tips:

• Find out about antenatal care : when the diagnosis falls before birth (this may be the threat of premature birth or the announcement of an illness), “it is better to find out in advance so as not to be rushed and anxious when the baby arrives”says the childcare worker. “There are many books available”.
• Consult breast milk specialists : “There are plenty of lactation consultants who offer antenatal consultations to explain how to practice breastfeeding properly”. And for good reason, “Breastfeeding is a real job that requires time, investment and self-sacrifice”.

• Get postnatal support : “if the child is born sick or premature but the woman is not prepared, she must be well supported at the time of birth”alerts Elise Chenel. “A woman’s body is quite well made but it needs to be sent the message that it needs to produce milk”, she reveals. Lactation must be stimulated. For that, “we recommend gentle manual stimulation (the woman massages her breast to release the milk with her hands), then the use of the breast pump, which remains the most effective”.
• Contact a healthcare professional : if despite the simulations milk does not come, it does not matter. This may be due to hormonal deficits or underlying health conditions. “Some bodies are not made to breastfeed”, recalls the specialist. It is therefore important to consult a doctor to find out the cause.
  Sometimes they just don’t understand everything / sometimes it takes a little more time for some
• Reassure yourself : you obviously have to go through the breast pump stage but no, you are not cows). “It doesn’t hurt and it can go very wellshe insists. “There is no reason why it should not work: you must above all believe in it and stay the course (it is linked to the psyche)”concludes the expert.

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Rights of women and children, violence, feminism, gender, discrimination, parenthood, education, psychology, health, couple, sexuality, social networks…. Joséphine loves deciphering all the social issues that drive our world…