Contents:
- Medical Video: Baby Digestion & Stomach Health : How to Treat a Baby With Stomach Cramps During the Night
- What is the digestion of a newborn baby like?
- The baby's stomach size is still small
- The baby's digestive system is immature
- Babies cannot protect themselves from infection
Medical Video: Baby Digestion & Stomach Health : How to Treat a Baby With Stomach Cramps During the Night
Digestion of newborns is certainly different from adult digestion. Newborns still have a very small stomach, the digestive system of newborns has not been able to digest various foods properly. Therefore, food for newborns must be considered well, not carelessly and not in very large portions.
What is the digestion of a newborn baby like?
Digestion of newborns is not yet strong and immature, and is very susceptible to infection. Therefore, at the beginning of the period after the birth of the baby, you as a parent must pay close attention to whatever and how much goes into the baby's mouth. Whatever goes into the baby's mouth, it will be processed in the baby's digestive system.
The baby's stomach size is still small
The stomach size of a newborn is also still small, only as big as marbles. Only able to accommodate liquids of 60-90 ml. Over time, the size of the stomach increases to the size of an egg at the age of 1 month. So, do not be surprised if the newborn baby suckles very little because indeed the size of the stomach is still small and has not been able to accommodate more food.
Usually newborns will suckle in small amounts but more often. This is the way babies fulfill their nutritional needs. Growing up, the baby will suckle more but the frequency of breastfeeding decreases. ASI is best given at this time because it contains high fat content, so it can provide enough calories for babies.
The baby's digestive system is immature
In the early days of a baby's life, he didn't have all the enzymes he needed to digest food. Even though a newborn can digest carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, the baby's pancreas has not fully developed. The pancreas of a newborn cannot produce the enzymes needed to break down complex carbohydrates or starch until the baby is around 3 months old. However, babies are helped by the presence of enzymes in breast milk and baby saliva.
In addition, physically, the valve of the baby's esophagus is also still not perfect. This valve controls the entry of food from the mouth to the baby's stomach. So, food that is already in the baby's stomach can easily rise again into the esophagus. As a result, babies often spit up, but this is a common thing. The baby's kidneys are also not fully mature, so the baby is at risk of dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, and insufficient absorption of nutrients.
Babies cannot protect themselves from infection
Normally, the human digestive tract has a layer of mucus that can protect it from microbes and other contaminants that may be present in food. However, this protection system has not been fully formed in newborns. So that the baby's digestive tract is not ready to fight the bacteria and pathogens that enter. This causes newborns to be very susceptible to infection.
However, you should not worry too much about this. Fortunately, the antibodies contained in breast milk can help babies create protection for themselves. Therefore, you are advised to give exclusive breastfeeding to babies up to 6 months old babies. At this age, the mucus layer in the baby's digestive tract has been formed almost perfectly and antibodies have also begun to be produced in the baby's body.
Breast milk also contains intestinal growth factors that help babies develop good bacteria in the intestine. So, breast milk is very important to help digestion of the baby's digestion.
