According to pediatricians, exclusive breastfeeding is the perfect way to provide the best food for a baby’s first six months of life. The first year of life is a period of rapid growth; as a result, adequate and appropriate nutrition is essential. An infant’s weight at birth doubles after about five months and triples by the time the infant completes 12 months of age. During this time period, an infant’s length also doubles. Infants will not reach their expected growth if they do not receive sufficient calories, vitamins and minerals – that’s where breastfeeding plays an important role.

Breastfeeding is much more than food alone. A well nourished mother who breastfeeds her baby, can help supply adequate amounts of most vitamins and minerals.

Other than promoting growth, breastfeeding offers disease protection. Breast milk contains antibodies that reduce the risk of infection for a newborn baby. As a result, breastfed infants have a decreased incidence of respiratory, gastrointestinal and ear infections, and are much less likely to die from diarrhea, acute respiratory infections and other diseases. Furthermore, breastfeeding supports infants’ immune systems and helps protect them from chronic conditions later in life such as obesity and diabetes. Babies from families with allergies gain a particular benefit since a study has shown that breastfeeding reduces allergies, asthma and eczema.

Apart from being less costly, breast milk is nutritionally superior to formula in many ways. According to Professor Eric Lien of the University of Illinois’ Food Science and Human Nutrition Department, breast milk is the best source of nutrition for an infant’s first six months of life, followed by infant formula for mothers who cannot or choose not to breastfeed.

“A key challenge for infant formula is how to best reproduce the composition and health benefits of human milk,” says Lien in his presentation on “Integrated Approach to Infant Nutrition” at a special event hosted by Pfizer Nutrition (PN) in Riyadh.

According to scientific studies, there are major composition differences between human milk and infant formula. Unlike most formula, mother’s milk contains docosohexaenoic and arachidonic acids, which contribute to brain and retinal development. Furthermore, some studies have suggested that breastfed infants learn more effectively and score higher on intelligence tests when tested at 18 months of age.

Human milk comprises 300 components but infant formula has about 75 individual components. Vitamins and mineral profiles, carbohydrate source (lactose) and fatty acid profiles are similar in both human milk and infant formula.

“Individual nutrients carry their own set of benefits. However, a good combination of nutrients can produce additional synergistic benefits for a child’s growth and development, and this is what we call the Biofactors System,” said Professor Lien said.

The Biofactors System approach to nutrition patterns infant formula after human milk, and duplicate as closely as possible the optimal outcomes from human milk’s superior composition.

Some of these biofactors are AA, DHA, zinc and iron (for brain development), alpha protein (for easy digestion and helps promote a healthy gut), natural carotenes like zinc and nucleotides (to help improve immunity) and calcium and phosphorous (for healthy bone development).

For optimal nutrition, the formulation preferred by pediatricians is the one that has been systematically designed to deliver the functional benefits that an infant or young child needs to thrive during a particular stage of life,” says Dr. Mohamed Sultan, PN’s medical director of Saudi Arabia.

The Biofactors System formula is designed to support growth, development and optimal visual and mental development, as well as digestion and metabolism. In fact, no one ingredient makes a formula unique compared to other formulas. Rather, it is the optimal combination of biofactors in balanced amounts that support the child’s health and development today and enhances future potential.

Mothers also benefit from breastfeeding in many ways: It strengthens the bond between mother and infant and helps the mother return to her pre-pregnancy weight in a shorter amount of time since milk production burns 200 to 500 calories a day.

Infancy is a time of tremendous growth that can be best met through breastfeeding. If this is not possible, pediatricians say commercial, iron-fortified infant formulas can provide adequate nutrition. Semi-solid foods should then be added to prepare the infant for more mature eating and chewing.

Throughout the first year, it is important for parents to learn to recognize an infant’s cues regarding feelings of hunger and fullness since that will prevent overfeeding. Observing an infant’s readiness to chew, and by providing appropriate foods, parents will help infants develop skills for independent eating.