Nutrition and Lactation

Abstract

Although purely nutritional evidence favoring breast feeding over medically supervised artificial feeding is lacking, there is still a strong case for breast feeding. Volume of milk differs considerably in normally lactating women, but the physiologic factors in such differences are not known. If the mother's diet is sound and has been adequate during pregnancy, the initiation of breast feeding requires no unusual qualitative nutritional allowances. Maintenance of a proper supply of breast milk without undue depletion of the mother depends on provision of sufficient calories, protein and nutrients in the diet.