Open AccessNutritional risks among not exclusively breastfed infants in the first 6 months of life
Author(s) -
Horacio F. González,
Mabel Carosella,
Adriana Fernández
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
archivos argentinos de pediatría
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.236
H-Index - 19
eISSN - 1668-3501
pISSN - 0325-0075
DOI - 10.5546/aap.2021.eng.e582
Subject(s) - breastfeeding , breast milk , medicine , breast feeding , infant nutrition , ideal (ethics) , gynecology , pediatrics , philosophy , environmental health , biology , population , research methodology , biochemistry , epistemology
Breast milk is the ideal food for infants and its benefits can be observed in the short and long term. In crisis situations, breastfeeding should be promoted the most because it is one of the most cost-effective interventions aimed at reducing infant morbidity and mortality. In addition to the multiple advantages of breast milk in the mother-child bond and biological and immune properties, the most relevant characteristic of breast milk is that it covers all nutritional needs. When breastfeeding is not possible, the World Health Organization recommends infant formula as the first option. The second option is diluted cow's milk, which entails the risk for nutritional deficiency that should be strictly monitored and timely resolved. When infants are fed with diluted cow's milk, they are mainly at risk for iron, zinc, vitamin A, D, C, and E, amino acid and essential fatty acid deficiency.