Baby milk feeding video

2 min.

Sept. 2021

This resource is for healthcare professionals

Researchers have used video recording for the first time to see differences in tongue movements between breastfed infants and adults when swallowing.

The tongue is an active muscle and a miracle of coordination. When we drink, the tongue prepares for swallowing by collecting liquid in the mouth, taking the shape of a bowl. It then quickly pushes the liquid back where it is swallowed, while still allowing us to continue breathing.

When we eat, the tongue works by holding the food in the mouth, moving it with saliva and turning it into a lump, which is then pushed back for swallowing. Both adults and infants use a peristaltic type of movement when swallowing.

Language training before birth

Teaching our tongue to do all this work begins in the womb. Before birth, the tongue begins to work by swallowing the amniotic fluid. After the birth of a child, the tongue plays a key role - it helps to squeeze milk out of the mother's breasts, working in conjunction with the jaws and lips.

When the baby is suckled to the mother's breast, the nipple and areola are retracted into the mouth so that the nipple reaches the junction of the hard and soft palate. After the baby has sucked well, the tongue begins to work, rhythmically squeezing the nipple with peristaltic movements that squeeze the milk from the mammary gland into the back of the throat, where it is swallowed. Babies naturally coordinate sucking, swallowing, and breathing.

Bottle feeding

This process changes slightly when a baby is bottle fed. The stiffness of the artificial material does not allow the nipple to stretch and take the shape of the baby's mouth. Peristaltic movements of the tongue are difficult and milk can flow almost without effort on the part of the child.

Parents should remember that during breastfeeding, babies make an effort to get milk. When bottle-feeding, milk often flows very easily and babies can drink the same amount of milk much faster (compared to breastfeeding). This may seem like a good way to save time, but as with many other things in life, slower is often better. If you choose a bottle that works more like a breast, with a slower flow, it allows the baby to stop and pause, the baby enjoys comfortable feeding, and the corresponding satiety signals are developed more slowly.

Research task

Usually everything goes smoothly. But from time to time, babies have difficulty swallowing. This may be due to various problems and they are not always easy to learn and understand.

At the beginning of the atomic era, diagnostics were carried out with the help of X-ray cinematography (filming of X-ray images). For the first time in history, people could see the amazing internal processes in the mouth and observe how the tongue helps to swallow. When concerns arose about the effects of radiation on technicians and patients, the practice was discontinued. Currently, video recording using ultrasound and MRI is often used. However, even with the use of less invasive methods or technologies, scientists still have to find ways to study babies while breastfeeding that do not affect their actions.

Tongue Movement Study

The 2020 study "Quantifying Tongue Movement During Feeding in Infants and Swallowing in Adults" shows patterns. The scientists used ultrasound video to study tongue movements.

“We observed the most organized and rhythmic tongue movements in exclusively breastfed infants, less mobility in those who had conditions that interfere with normal feeding, such as tongue tie, and more “disorganized” movements with bottle feeding than breastfeeding,” the researchers report. “This highlights the key role of tongue movements in breast or bottle sucking.”

Disorganized movements with bottle feeding than with breastfeeding,” researchers report. “This highlights the key role of tongue movements in breast or bottle sucking.” They could also observe differences in tongue mobility before and after treatment in infants with tongue and lip frenulum. And for the first time, pictures of a baby with torticollis during breastfeeding and bottle feeding were obtained. The results showed "slightly less rhythmic sucking than usual during breastfeeding and irregular sucking during bottle feeding".

Although this study was limited, the use of ultrasound video was effective in obtaining objective information about tongue movements. As more scientists use this technique, we'll get more information about how language works and we'll be able to get more accurate information about natural feeding and how to deal with it.

Share this article:

Similar articles

Are you not a healthcare professional?

References

Genna CW, Saperstein Y, Siegel SA, Laine AF, Elad D. Quantitative imaging of tongue kinematics during infant feeding and adult swallowing reveals highly conserved patterns. Physiol Rep. 2021;9:e14685. doi.org/10.14814/phy2.14685

You are leaving the Philips Healthcare (“Philips”) official website. Any links to third party websites that may be included on this site are provided solely as a convenience to you. Philips makes no warranties regarding any third party websites or the information they contain.

I understand

You are about to visit a Philips global content page

Continue

You are about to visit the Philips USA website.

I understand

Myths about breastfeeding

Ani Gazoyan

medical journalist

Author profile

There are a lot of requirements for new mothers, but they are not always justified.

While breastfeeding, a woman is expected to follow a strict diet, pump regularly, and avoid medication. These and other restrictions greatly complicate the life of a young mother and do not always benefit the child.

This article contains the most popular misconceptions about breastfeeding. We tell you why you should not believe in them.

What myths we checked

• Breasts need to be washed before each feeding
• The baby on breastfeeding should be given water
• It is important to express it after each feeding
• during lactostasis, with breasts 9010 breastfeeding medicines must not be taken
• Cannot get pregnant during lactation
• Breastfeeding during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage

See a doctor

Our articles are written with love for evidence-based medicine. We refer to authoritative sources and go to doctors with a good reputation for comments. But remember: the responsibility for your health lies with you and your doctor. We don't write prescriptions, we make recommendations. Relying on our point of view or not is up to you.

MYTH No. 1

Breast milk is not sterile by itself. It contains lactic acid bacteria such as B. infantis, L. gasseri and L. fermentum, which form the intestinal microbiota.

Up to 80% of immune cells live in the intestine, so if the microflora is out of balance, the whole organism suffers. And vice versa, "tincture" of beneficial bacteria strengthens the immune system - and the child does not need additional protection measures. Breast milk also contains nucleotides, antibodies, immune complexes, active leukocytes, macrophages and other biologically active substances. They are involved in the formation of the child's immune system.

The role of the microbiota in immunity and inflammation - National Institutes of Health

Breastfeeding: composition and properties of breast milk - Cyberleninka

In addition, the newborn may want to eat every 1-3 hours. As the baby gets older, the breastfed baby drinks more milk and the interval between feedings gradually increases. However, in the first months of life, a child needs to be fed 8-12 times daily, and sometimes up to 20 times.

How much and how often to breastfeed - CDC

Washing the breasts and nipples before each feeding will cause dryness and irritation of the skin. At the same time, there is no benefit in frequent washing of the mother's breast for the child. It is enough to wash the chest twice a day during the shower. If you treat your nipples with anti-crack cream or ointment, check the instructions for use to see if you need to rinse off the product before feeding.

MYTH No. 2

While the child is exclusively breastfed, without complementary foods, it is not necessary to supplement him with water. The composition of milk varies depending on the needs of the child. How this happens is not yet clear, but scientists suggest that a woman’s body “reads” the signals of the baby during feeding, “adjusts” milk to his needs, and even in the heat, a breast-fed baby does not need additional liquid. Moreover, supplementation can be harmful: water will fill the child's stomach, the child will drink less milk and it will be worse to gain weight.

But a mother, in order to avoid dehydration, needs to monitor her drinking regime, because her body turns part of the liquid into breast milk. There is no need to calculate a certain rate of drinking, it is enough to drink when you want. If you notice that your urine has become dark in color, urination has become rare, dry mouth has appeared, then you do not have enough fluid.

Patient Education: Health and Nutrition During Breastfeeding - UpToDate

MYTH No. 3

The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine recommends avoiding unnecessary pumping. The fact is that breast milk contains a feedback lactation inhibitor that controls milk production. In order for milk to begin to be produced, you need to empty your chest, and the more often and more carefully you do this, the more milk comes.

How Breast Milk Production Works - La Leche League GB

Treatment of Hyperlactation - Clinical Protocol of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine No. 32

Due to frequent pumping, hyperlactation can occur - when more milk is produced than the baby needs. Hyperlactation often leads to stagnation of milk - lactostasis - and inflammation of the mammary gland - mastitis.

Milk does not need to be expressed when feeding on demand, not by the clock. If you feed a child when he is hungry, the amount of milk will correspond to the needs and appetite of the baby: the more milk he sucks, the more it is produced for the next feeding. However, if after feeding you feel that the breast is not completely emptied, and this gives you discomfort, you can express milk a little - until you feel relief.

/pluggedduct/

How I survived 10 lactose and 2 mastitis but kept breastfeeding

Pumping may be necessary, for example, if the baby was specifically woken up to feed. A sleepy baby will suckle sluggishly at the breast and eat less. In response to this, the mother's body will produce less milk for the next feeding - and the child will not eat enough. In this case, pumping after the first feeding will help to avoid a shortage of milk in the future.

MYTH No. 4

Laktostasis occurs when the breast is not completely emptied: part of the milk remains in the ducts of the mammary gland and forms stagnation. This is a painful condition, but the quality of milk in the breast does not change with lactostasis, and feeding is not dangerous for the baby - you can breastfeed him as usual.

Moreover, breastfeeding will speed up recovery, because the main treatment for lactostasis is to empty the breast. If feeding during lactostasis is very painful or the child has eaten without having time to eliminate the stagnation, you can additionally express with your hands or with the help of a breast pump until the condition improves.

MYTH No. 5

Highly allergenic foods such as seafood, nuts, red berries and citrus fruits should be avoided while breastfeeding. However, there is no evidence that following a hypoallergenic diet by a pregnant or breastfeeding woman will prevent the development of allergies in a child. Moreover, babies whose mothers eat a balanced and varied diet are less likely to suffer from food allergies.

Rarely, a baby may be allergic to cow's milk or soy. It can be indicated by vomiting, diarrhea, and blood in the stool. If these symptoms appear, you should contact your pediatrician: he may recommend that these foods be excluded from the woman's diet until she finishes breastfeeding.

Many women gain weight during pregnancy and want to lose weight as soon as possible after giving birth. Even if a young mother is on a strict diet and loses weight quickly, lactation will most likely not be affected. Under conditions of negative energy balance, the concentration of prolactin, the hormone that is responsible for the production of breast milk, increases, protecting the baby from milk deficiency.

But mom will definitely lack energy, macronutrients, vitamins and microelements to feel good and stay healthy. Therefore, during breastfeeding, it is recommended to eat 300-400 kcal more than usual. At the same time, the diet should be balanced and include:

Community 06/22/21

How to eat properly while breastfeeding?

1. Protein found in lean meats, dairy, fish, seafood, and legumes.
2. Healthy fats, such as those from unrefined oils and nuts.
3. Complex carbohydrates found in berries and fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and pasta.

Occasionally, a woman who is breastfeeding can drink one serving of a low-alcohol drink, such as 350 ml of beer or 150 ml of wine. The main thing is to wait at least two hours before breastfeeding in order to completely avoid getting alcohol into the baby's body. If a woman drank more, she should refrain from breastfeeding for an additional two hours for each serving of alcohol. There is no need to express yourself.

MYTH No. 6

Many medicines are labeled not to be taken while breastfeeding. Often this ban is due to the fact that pregnant and breastfeeding women do not participate in most clinical drug trials. It is unprofitable for manufacturers to include them in studies and register the drug as safe during breastfeeding. Pharmaceutical companies simply do not know how a particular drug will affect this category of patients, and do not recommend it in order to play it safe.

The active ingredients of medicines can pass into breast milk, causing adverse effects, poisoning or an allergic reaction in the baby, but more often their concentration is too low and does not harm. At the same time, even within the same pharmacological group there are drugs with low and high risk. For example, among antipyretic drugs, paracetamol is safe during lactation, the risks are slightly higher when taking aspirin, but it is better to refuse propyphenazone.

Breastfeeding and drugs: what is safe? - Mayo Clinic

To check if a specific drug or active ingredient is compatible with breastfeeding, visit e-lactacia.org or the LactMed knowledge base. It is better to do this together with your doctor: he will tell you if it is possible to replace the drug with analogues.

If a woman still needs to take medications that are incompatible with lactation, it is recommended to stop breastfeeding for the duration of treatment and pump so that the milk does not disappear completely. When the drug needs to be taken constantly, breastfeeding is stopped.

MYTH No. 7

Indeed, for some time, lactating women cannot become pregnant. This happens because the hormone prolactin, necessary for lactation, blocks ovulation. But over time, when feedings become less frequent, complementary foods are added, the intervals between feedings are lengthened, the menstrual cycle is restored - and a woman can become pregnant again.

The menstrual cycle can be restored at any time: a month after the baby is born, and two years later, when the woman stopped breastfeeding. In most women, menstruation resumes after 9-18 months postpartum. In addition, ovulation occurs before menstruation and a woman can become pregnant without knowing that her reproductive function has already recovered.

If a woman is not planning a pregnancy, contraception must be used during the entire period of breastfeeding. Here are some contraceptives that are allowed for breastfeeding women and do not affect the composition of breast milk:

1. Condoms.
2. Diaphragms and intrauterine devices.
3. Certain birth control pills: Doctors usually recommend progestin-only pills.

MYTH No. 8

This myth is prevalent because a woman's body releases the hormone oxytocin during breastfeeding. It causes the uterus to contract, and it seems that feeding can lead to miscarriage or preterm labor.

Learn more

• 
  Can you feed a baby goat cows milk
• 
  Bowl for baby food
• 
  What to feed a baby starling fell out of nest
• 
  Www baby food recipes
• 
  Gerber 3rd stage baby food
• 
  How often should breastfed babies feed
• 
  Why would baby cry during feeding
• 
  When can i give my baby first food
• 
  How to introduce baby food for the first time
• 
  Lutefisk baby food
• 
  How often to feed premature babies