Ginecomplex Lactancia, the perfect combination for mothers and nursing babies
The scientific community is unanimous. Natural breastfeeding is the best form of nourishment in early infancy. The benefits are proven: maternal breast milk is of excellent nutritional and immunological value. It provides benefits for growth, development and defences from infancy to maturity, promotes intellectual and cognitive development, assists in the establishment of bacterial flora and boosts the affective bond between mother and baby.
In Spain, according to the National Healthcare Surveys run by the Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality since 1995 and included in the 2016 report “Breastfeeding figures” by the Breastfeeding Committee of the Spanish Paediatrics Association, the percentage of mothers who breastfeed is maintained at 74% during the first year, but it drops to 46% in the second year. These figures are similar to those for Europe, but below World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations, which recommend breastfeeding up to two years of age.
Diet is essential
During breastfeeding, the mother’s nutritional and energetic needs increase and can even be greater than in pregnancy. The Breastfeeding Committee of the Spanish Paediatrics Association emphasizes the importance of a varied, balanced and nourishing diet during this period. It is important to consider that diet affects the composition of breast milk and if the mother’s diet has deficiencies, the baby’s nutrition may also be deficient.
A study carried out in 2008 by Jose Luis Gómez Llorente, from the Paediatrics Department of the University of Granada, found that nine in ten breastfeeding mothers did not have an appropriate diet: 94% of the lactating mothers who participated in the study had a hypocaloric diet, 88% had a vitamin A deficit and 99% had a vitamin E deficiency.
It should also be noted that certain nutrients, such as DHA, folic acid, iodine, iron and vitamin A, among others, are difficult to obtain from diet alone.
A complete and balanced combination
The risk of deficiencies in certain minerals and vitamins during breastfeeding can be avoided by taking Ginecomplex Lactancia from Laboratorios Viñas. It is a complete and balanced combination of omega-3 fatty acids (especially DHA), trace elements, minerals and vitamins specifically recommended to cover the fundamental nutritional needs of the mother and nursing baby during breastfeeding.
Its composition includes vitamins: folic acid, which benefits the growth of maternal tissues during pregnancy and the cell division process; vitamin A, which contributes to the maintenance of normal vision and assists in the normal functioning of the immune system; vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B8 and B12, which contribute to the normal functioning of the nervous system; vitamin E, which helps protect cells against oxidative stress; vitamin C, which promotes normal collagen formation for blood vessels as well as the normal functioning of the nervous system, and vitamin D, which is involved in the absorption of calcium and phosphorus.
In addition, it contains four essential trace elements: zinc, which contributes to the cell division process and the normal functioning of the immune system; iron, which aids in normal haemoglobin formation; magnesium, which contributes to normal neuromuscular activity, and iodine, which contributes to normal nervous system function, as well as other minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, copper and manganese.
Maximum supply of DHA
Ginecomplex Lactancia provides lactating women with the highest daily quantities of DHA (280 mg), an omega-3 fatty acid that provides significant benefits for both the mother and the nursing infant.
According to the EFSA and the Italian RDA, DHA requirements increase to 100-300 mg per day during pregnancy and breastfeeding and normally these recommended levels are not reached through usual diet. DHA is a significant component that promotes the nursing infant’s visual and neuronal function, contributing to normal mental and cognitive development.
In addition, increased maternal DHA levels reduce the risk of postpartum depression, or act as an adjunct to therapy if the mother does develop it. Postpartum depression is a more common disorder than people think, as indicated in an article published in 2015 by the Spanish Gynaecological Association which suggests that 80% of women are affected.
In a study assessing 380 women in the postnatal period using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, it was demonstrated that a 1% increase in plasma DHA levels was associated with a 59% reduction in the symptoms of depression.
Sources:
- Ministerio de Sanidad, Servicios Sociales e Igualdad – www.msssi.gob.es
- World Health Organization (WHO) – www.who.int
- Comité de Lactancia Materna. Asociación Española de Pediatría - www.aeped.es
Informe 2016 “Lactancia Materna en Cifras: tasas de inicio y duración de la lactancia en España y en otros países”
- Universidad de Granada - www.ugr.es
“Análisis de la Repercusión de la Ingesta Dietética durante la Lactancia sobre la Composición de Vitaminas A y E y Ácidos Grasos de la Leche Humana”. Autor José Luís Gómez Llorente (2008).
- Società di Nutrizione Umana (SINU). LARN—Livelli di Assunzione di Riferimento di Nutrienti ed Energia per la
Popolazione Italiana; IV Revisione; SICS: Milano, Italia, 2014; pp. 1–655.
- Agrupación Ginecológica Española - www.agrupacionginecologica.es
- Makrides M, Crowther CA, Gibson RA, et al. Docosahexaenoic acid and post-partum depression - is there a link? Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2003;12(Suppl):S37.
- Laboratorios Viñas - www.vinas.es
