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Dear Healthcare Professional,
Welcome to the August edition of our email newsletters aimed to keep you updated with the latest in infant nutrition. This month we are focussing on the unique nutritional requirements of preterm infants and the ESPGHAN preterm feeding recommendations. Additionally, we are highlighting the resources we have available on our website to help you support mothers to breastfeed.
Kind regards,
The SMA® Professional Team |
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| Breastfeeding support for parents |
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Through many years of clinical research and engagement with healthcare professionals, the
SMA Professional team recognise the public health benefits of increasing breastfeeding and are actively committed to supporting breastfeeding as the primary source of infant nutrition. While the rates of mothers initiating breastfeeding are rising, the proportion still exclusively breastfeeding at 6 months, as recommended by the U.K. Department of Health, is just 1%.1
As part of our commitment to breastfeeding, you will find a number of resources to help you to support mums on the SMA Professional website. These include videos of mums giving advice and sharing their own experiences, helpsheets for you to share with parents on a range of useful topics such as breastfeeding positions in 7 different languages and suggestions of other websites parents can visit to get further advice. |
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We recognize that being able to access information quickly is important for HCPs which is why this month we have launched a new function that gives you access to the website for 6 months, without having to enter your log in details each time you visit. We hope this will improve accessibility for those who are short on time. So next time you log in to the website, tick the box on the pop up window and this will enable you to skip this step for the next 6 months.
When you are logged onto the website you will also see a 'my profile' section in which you can update your personal details. By providing these, we will be able to invite you to upcoming study days and events being held in your local area which can help support your continuing professional development. |
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For preterm infants, the most important outcome in nutritional management is the prevention of growth failure in order to protect the infant’s brain. Recent research has associated increased energy and protein intakes with positive developmental outcomes for this at risk group of infants2. The ESPGHAN guidelines reflect these increased requirements, and we have summarised the energy and protein intake recommendations for you on our website. You will also find here a summary of the ESPGHAN guidance for feeding these infants upon discharge from hospital.
We will be launching our new SMA PRO® Gold Prem range later this year-keep an eye out for more information in future newsletters.
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® Registered Trademark.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommended that pregnant women and new mothers be informed on the benefits and superiority of breastfeeding – in particular the fact that it provides the best nutrition and protection from illness for babies. Mothers should be given guidance on the preparation for, and maintenance of, lactation, with special emphasis on the importance of a well-balanced diet both during pregnancy and after delivery. Unnecessary introduction of partial bottle-feeding or other foods and drinks should be discouraged since it will have a negative effect on breastfeeding. Similarly, mothers should be warned of the difficulty of reversing a decision not to breast-feed. Before advising a mother to use an infant formula, she should be advised of the social and financial implications of her decision: for example, if a baby is exclusively bottle-fed, more than one can (400 g) per week will be needed, so the family circumstances and costs should be kept in mind. Mothers should be reminded that breast milk is not only the best, but also the most economical food for babies. If a decision to use an infant formula is taken, it is important to give instructions on correct preparation methods, emphasizing that unboiled water, unsterilized bottles or incorrect dilution can all lead to illness.
References:1. McAndrew et al (2012) Infant Feeding Survey 2010 Consolidated Report. Health and Social Care Information Centre, IFF Research. Available here. (Accessed 18/07/2016) 2. Stephens BE et al. Pediatrics 2009; 123: 1337–1343. |
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