Explain the Nutrient composition of different milk?

Sometimes exclusive breast-feeding cannot be sustained. Working mothers join their duty in the fourth month and exclusively breast-feeding stops. Although infant needs of almost all nutrients is met from breast milk alone but in absence of breast milk, other milk can be given. Giving undiluted homogenized, pasteurized, toned milk that has been boiled at home is a relatively inexpensive option. Buffalo's milk can be given by initially diluting in the ratio of 2:1. The alternate caregivers may over dilute the milk, which can cause under nutrition. The usual challenge in alternate milk is water quality, hygiene and handling and milk allergies. Cow milk has been well documented for causing allergies worldwide. Heat-treated milk formulae have shown better tolerance but are expensive and their over-dilution is the major cause of malnutrition. Nutrient composition of different milk is given in Table.

Whenever the baby is fed on animal milk, supplements of iron and vitamin C should be provided. Animal milk does not have this in adequate amount; Heat-treated milk formulae may be fortified. In many cases if the infants have doubled their birth weight, solid foods which are cereal based and supplemented with vitamin C or iron, are introduced around 6 months. The usual cereal is rice, which is known to be least allergic. Needless to say that weaning off breast around 6 months is driven more due to circumstances than need of the infant. Thus, the period during which other foods or liquids are provided along with breast milk is considered the period of complementary feeding. Any nutrient-containing foods or liquids other than breast milk given to young children during the period o complementary feeding are defined as complementary foods. Here we would like to emphasize that the infant needs to be preferably fed with sterile 'katori' and 'spoon' instead of bottle-feeding, which causes nipple confusion.

Further, maintaining sterile, hygienic bottle and teats is more difficult than katori. Due to nipple confusion, the infant does not accept effortful sucking from the breast. Hence, on introduction of bottle feeding, the breast milk production gradually falls. It is important for mothers to continue breast-feeding as long as possible.