Protein-energy requirements of developing countries : evaluation of new data : report of a working group /
| Corporate Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | , , |
| Format: | Book |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Tokyo, Japan :
United Nations University,
©1981.
|
| Series: | Food and nutrition bulletin. Supplement ;
5. |
| Subjects: |
| Abstract: | This is a report of a meeting set up to review the interrelationship between maternal diet, breast milk production, and the return of fertility during lactation. There are many major gaps in knowledge about physiological responses during lactation. Although it is agreed that women's nutritional needs are greater during lactation and in most communities women are essential to the agricultural economy, in most developing areas the woman's deficiencies build up during lactation. Even if women eat more of their existing food, this is not necessarily ideal since the customary diet in many developing countries has intrinsically low energy content. Major changes in eating habits would be necessary to bridge this nutrition gap. A major difficulty in assessing the success of dietary supplementation programs is identifying the magnitude of change which can be expected; the standard that has been used is 850 ml but to satisfy total energy needs up to 6 months would take almost 1200 ml. Non-nutritional factors affecting milk production include feeding frequency, supplementary feeding, menstruation, pregnancy, smoking, drugs, social pressures, and diet. Also presented is a study on the role of prolactin on the contraceptive effect of lactation, the influence of breastfeeding practices, and maternal dietary status. There is substantial evidence which indicates that improving maternal diet without concurrently introducing some artificial form of contraception may shorten the birth interval and consequently produce a raised birth rate. It is also emphasized that primary health care centers must assume the responsibility of caring for the nutritional health of both the mother and child. Assessment criteria in the areas of mortality, morbidity, growth, and functional capacity are discussed. Research is needed on the range of breast milk volumes produced by healthy breastfeeding mothers, how long breastfeeding is adequate for healthy growth, ways of identifying lactational inadequacy, hypogalactia, timing of the onset of breastfeeding, and multicenter studies. |
|---|---|
| Item Description: | Papers presented at a workshop on protein-energy requirements, Cambridge, Mass., 19-23 May 1981. "WHTR-4/UNUP-295." |
| Physical Description: | viii, 268 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references. |
| ISBN: | 928080295X 9789280802955 |