What Is The Harm In Giving Water, Honey, Glucose Water Or Artificial Milk In The First Few Days?
Such feeds given to newborns before the free flow of milk from the breasts are called, prelacteal feeds. These can be harmful for you as well as your baby and should be avoided. If prelacteal feeds are given, the baby may not suckle adequately at the breast as her stomach is already full. Consequently, she will not get colostrum. Such feeds may also be contaminated and result in serious infections. Allergies are more common in babies given animal milk (including powder milk) in the first months of life. If these feeds are given through a bottle, the baby may not make the required effort to suckle and empty the breast. This either results in breastfeeding failure or may cause engorgement and infection of the breasts. Some health workers give prelacteal feeds to otherwise normal babies who happen to be rather big in size or are small. They fear that these babies may get hypoglycaemia (less sugar in blood). This fear is unjustified. Colostrum is enough for these babies. Some health worker
