What’s in Breast Milk?
Breast milk is the perfect food for babies. It is the ideal combination of water, calories, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals for growing-term infants. The protein and fat in human milk is easier for babies to digest.
In addition to being the best source of nutrition for newborns, breast milk has bioactive components to protect babies from infection and disease. A mother’s milk is naturally customized for her infant. Breast milk changes over time to provide babies with what they need as they grow.
Breast Milk Fortification
Premature babies often have increased nutrient and calorie needs to match the same nutrient delivery during the last trimesters of pregnancy. Although breast milk is the best source of nutrition, breast milk alone cannot meet the increased nutrient needs. To meet these needs, breast milk often is fortified to add calories, protein, vitamins and minerals to support growth and development.
Dietitians provide recommendations for breast milk fortification while monitoring weight gain and developmental milestones. Dietitians customize infant feeding plans specific to the goals of the infants’ nutritional needs and mothers’ goals of providing breast milk.
It’s beneficial to have a dedicated space onsite to fortify and store mother’s breast milk for the baby in the NICU. Human milk and infant formula handling require trained staff to ensure safety and accuracy. This way the milk can be given to the baby as needed during their hospital stay.
Benefits of Breastfeeding
While the nutritional benefits for the baby are important, breastfeeding has other benefits including:
- Saves money and adds convenience
- Helps the mother in postpartum recovery
- Lowers risk of certain diseases and illnesses for mother and baby
- Increases emotional and physical bond between mother and child
Breastfeeding Support at the Women’s & Children’s Hospital
University Health is dedicated to helping moms who choose to provide breast milk for their child. We offer breastfeeding classes in both English and Spanish. Our lactation consultants are on hand, ready to give mothers the support and help they need at any time.
John L. Santikos Charitable Fund Mother’s Place
A Mother’s Place was created to support women who are providing breast milk or seeking assistance in meeting their lactation goals, complementing University Health’s future Frost Milk Bank. This Milk Bank will be the first of its kind in South Texas and only the third in the state.
A Mother’s Place offers a reception area and two consultation rooms for inpatient and outpatient lactation support. It will provide additional maternal support and serve infants by providing an area of centralized storage and handling of human milk and formula, overseen by registered dietitians and milk technicians.
