Draft Australian Dietary Guidelines (PDF, 3MB) - Eat For Health

5.1 Setting the sceneThe World Health Organization states that “breastfeeding is an unequalled way of providing idealfood for the healthy growth and development of infants”. Breastmilk is a living tissue that includesmany unique compounds. Breastfeeding has short-term and long-term health and other benefitsfor infants and mothers. Maximising the benefits of breastfeeding to the infant and mother requiresthe support of the other family members and a supportive community environment.Australia has a long history of promoting and supporting breastfeeding in its public health policy. In1981 Australia became a signatory to WHO’s International Code of Marketing of Breast-milkSubstitutes [860], the stated aim of which was to protect and promote breastfeeding. Theimportance of breastfeeding led to its inclusion in the Australian Dietary Guidelines endorsed by theNHMRC in 1983 [568].In Australia, part of the WHO code is implemented by the Marketing in Australia of Infant Formulas(MAIF) Agreement, a voluntary agreement by infant formula manufacturers and importers. TheInfant Feeding Guidelines for Health Workers [133] provide more information on the WHO code,the MAIF Agreement and the obligations of all health workers. They also providerecommendations on the appropriate foods for infants from birth to about two years of age,including detailed information on the benefits of breastfeeding for the infant and mother.Breastmilk contains many unique compounds, including antibodies and immune cells. In the firstfew days after giving birth a mother’s breasts produce colostrum which provides all the nutrientsand water required by their newborn infant. Colostrum contains higher levels of protein, vitaminA and vitamin B 12 and less fat than breastmilk. It also contains lactoferrin, immunoglobulin A,enzymes, maternal antibodies, living cells (leukocytes, neutrophils and macrophages) andprebiotics, which limit the growth of pathogenic bacteria and viruses, stimulate the growth of anappropriate human microbiome and protect against illness [483, 861, 862]. Colostrum feeding isimportant for the infant and also stimulates the mother’s breastmilk production. The compositionof colostrum gradually changes as lactation is established and milk production begins 48–72 hoursafter birth.The nutrient composition of mature human milk varies between individuals and across the stagesof lactation. The energy content varies between 270 and 315 kJ per 100 mL, largely due tovariation in the fat content [863, 864]. Fat content typically increases through each breastfeed. Itprovides much of the energy and omega-3 and omega-6 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, plusthe fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, as well as prostaglandins. The fat in breastmilk is typicallybetter absorbed by an infant’s gastrointestinal tract than the fat in cow’s milk. Mature milkcontinues to provide immune factors and enzymes to the infant [36, 865].Breastmilk provides all the vitamins, major minerals and trace elements known to be essential forhealthy full-term infants for around the first six months [731, 866]. These are more bioavailableDRAFT Australian Dietary Guidelines- December 2011 133