Is your baby having the right food?

Is your baby having the right food?

Research has suggested that cow's milk, given its lack of nutrients and protective antibodies as well as low iron content may not be the healthiest of drinks for your baby.

Given its lack of nutrients and protective antibodies as well as low iron content, cow's milk is inappropriate and unsafe for fast-growing babies.

In the days of yore, many nursing mothers in India breastfed their babies for a longer period of time. But with changing times, women have begun weaning babies off breast milk much earlier. Data from the National Family Health Survey 3 report indicates that many mothers stop exclusive breastfeeding prematurely, with only 69% infants less than two months of age being breastfed exclusively. By 2-3 months of age, the number falls to 51% and by 4-5 months, breastfeeding plummets to 28% only.

Declining rates in breastfeeding are mainly due to supplementation with plain water in the early months, followed by cow's milk in subsequent months. Additionally, there exists the practice of introducing top feeds early in the form of diluted cow's milk. All this flies in the face of expert advice, which recommends avoiding cow's milk for the first year of the baby's life because it is inappropriate, unsafe and inadequate in terms of nutrient content.

Healthcare practitioners stress that the first two years are critical for the growth and development of babies, due to which they need to be nourished exclusively on breast milk. This is why, the WHO and UNICEF, including national and international guidelines on Infant and Young Child Feeding, advise exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and continued breastfeeding for up to two years and beyond.

In the first six months especially, exclusive breastfeeding is emphasized to curb the possibility of food contamination from impure water or malnutrition due to over-diluted bovine milk (cow or buffalo).

Mother's milk is widely recommended because it is enriched with nutrients, vitamins and minerals, including antibodies that safeguard infants from life-threatening diseases. Besides minimizing risks of diarrhoea, breast milk protects babies from allergic reactions such as eczema.

Nutrition experts caution against the use of cow's milk in the first two years of a child's life because, unlike mother's milk, it lacks adequate nutrients, contains no antibodies that protect against infections and is a poor source of iron.

Moreover, cow's milk is usually processed and transported in environments that are simply not hygienic enough to prevent contamination from food-borne bacteria. National surveys as well as published studies have repeatedly shown cow's milk sold loose as well as in packets have high levels of adulteration with detergents and toxic substances such as urea, all of which could especially endanger the lives of babies who possess delicate immune systems.

To safeguard infants from such dangers, the Food Standards and Safety Association of India mandates an upper limit for certain microorganisms, such as E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella and Salmonella, as well as yeast and moulds, among others, in pasteurized milk. These norms are necessary because even milk from healthy cows and buffaloes that contains few bacteria can be liable to hundred-fold bacterial contamination once it is stored for some time at normal temperature.

Besides minor skin infections, some bacteria can cause life-endangering diseases such as pneumonia and diarrhoea. In spite of milk being heated or pasteurized to protect it from bacterial contamination, it is still susceptible to recontamination, even under refrigeration.

"Cow's milk is susceptible to spoilage by yeasts and moulds and may even trigger allergic reactions in infants. At least two percent of infants across the world are said to be afflicted with cow's milk allergy, which can cause rashes, eczema, colic, vomiting and diarrhoea, among other ailments. contamination of cow's milk, including recontamination of pasteurized milk, is among the many reasons why Infant and Young Child Feeding recommendations state that infants should be exclusively breastfed during the first six months of life. Nutritionally, feeding with cows milk may lead to iron depletion in infants. Lactose in milk can diarrhea and gas. Infants could later be given appropriate complementary feeds with continued breastfeeding till two years of age or beyond," said Dr Geeta Dharmatti - IDA Pune Chapter President & Chief Dietitian, Aditya Birla Hospital, Pune.

More worryingly, all practices connected with cow's milk deprive babies of proper nutrition as the nutrient composition of cow's milk is not suited for human infants, especially since it contains high levels of protein unsuitable for infants' immature kidneys. While boiling and diluting with water destroys its nutritional content, the household practice of removing the fat layer in milk also deprives infants of essential nutrients.

In the words of Dr Jagmeet Madan - IDA Mumbai Chapter President, Mumbai: "Although feeding infants cow's milk is more than a thousand-year-old tradition in India, it brings in additional concerns of contamination, adulterants and allergens thus making it unsafe . In the first six months, therefore, it is preferable to nurse the infant exclusively on mother's milk since this boosts resistance to disease. Additionally breast milk is designed naturally to address the nutrient and assimilation ability of the infant for mothers unable to nurse because of health reasons, it's best to consult the family physician about a safe alternative."

There is little doubt that few nursing mothers, if any, would dispute such sage advice and risk the lives and well-being of their babies.

Food consumption commercialized: Azad

Addressing the Inaugural programme of the 36th Session of Codex Alimentarius Commission on the occasion of 50 years of the Commission’s Sessions, Azad said gone are the days when each country and local populace confined themselves to food produced domestically.

 "But shrinking of the world due to faster means of travel and communications has led to globalization and commercialization of all sectors including food production, processing and consumption. Whatever is produced in one part of the world is available in other parts due to improved means for import and export today," he said.

"It is a matter of satisfaction that the Codex Alimentarius has achieved several milestones since its inception in meeting the challenges of health of consumers and fair practices in the trade of food products.The membership of the Commission has grown from 30 countries to 150 countries over the last 50 years. This is on account of the keen interest and trust evinced by the developing countries in the Codex process, making Codex a truly international food standards-setting organization of the United Nations.

"Another achievement is that Codex has expanded its role into a variety of products and subject matters to address quality, safety and nutrition issues. The science-based framework adopted by Codex gives this institution a pre-eminent position in the area of safety of human health and fair trade practices."

He said time has come to create more awareness about Codex in different countries so that the benefits of the important work done by Codex Alimentarius is further spread among all countries, especially in the developing countries that comprise almost 70% of the world population.

On the occasion of 50th Anniversary of Codex, India has made a small contribution by developing an exhaustive set of Frequently Asked Questions on Codex and has provided the same to the Codex Secretariat as part of communication strategy for greater global awareness, said Azad.

Since Codex has developed several standards and guidelines for various kinds of food products, all countries should harmonize their national standards with those of the Codex to implement food safety systems and good agricultural and manufacturing practices, he said.

"There is a need to set up appropriate food testing laboratories and put in place certification procedures for facilitating availability of safe food to the consumers. FAO and WHO have already taken several initiatives in this direction. The benefits of Codex Trust Fund are available to eligible countries since 2003," he said.

"This is a helpful initiative which has supported countries in their participation in Codex meetings so that Codex is able to create truly international standards.The Fund has also been useful in capacity building activities in the developing countries," he said.

Azad said as the Codex Trust Fund is coming to an end in 2015, efforts should be made to ensure the continuity of the mechanism to support countries that need Codex the most. Development of science-based standards requires sufficient funds.

"For this reason, FAO and WHO have to consider providing higher allocation of funds for this activity which is the very basis of Codex standards. An alternative means for mobilization of resources should also be explored while ensuring transparency and avoiding any conflict of interest. It will be helpful if countries come forward to support this common cause," he said.

Talking about India, Azad said India is playing an active role in all Codex meetings and working groups. India has received support from FAO, WHO and some of trading partners in capacity building in the area of food safety management.

"The Government of India is going to make unprecedented investments, both at the federal and provincial levels, to strengthen the food regulatory systemduring 12th Five Year Plan(2012-17). He congratulated all for their contribution for the health of the people across the world," he said.

The Codex Commission is shouldering the responsibility of laying down the global parameters of quality and safety of food products for human consumption. This ensures the health of the consumers and fair practices in the export and import of food products.