By Harun Yahya
30 January 2015
MOTHER’s milk is a matchless compound created by Allah to meet all the baby’s nutritional requirements and protect it against potential infections. The way that the nutritional values in mother’s milk are in just the right proportions for the baby’s needs means that it could well be described as “the miraculous compound.” It is also rich in nutrients that encourage brain cell growth and accelerate the development of the nervous system. Not even baby foods produced using the latest technologies can replace this miraculous food.
Changing Nature Mother’s Milk
Mother’s milk changes with the baby’s stages of development, and the content of the milk also varies depending on the baby’s nutritional requirements at each particular phase. The milk in the days immediately after birth is known as colostrum, which is rich in protein and antibodies. This milk strengthens the baby’s immune system and helps the digestive system to develop.
After the first three or four days, the milk becomes thinner, more watery and sweeter: This is to provide the baby with hydration. Its sugar, protein and mineral contents are also in line with the baby’s needs. This milk is low in fat and high in carbohydrates. Mother’s milk is always ready at just the right temperature, and the sugar and fat it contains play an important role in brain development. In addition, elements within it such as calcium are important for bone development and growth.
The milk then gradually becomes thicker and creamier, in order to satisfy the baby’s hunger. The antibody contents of this milk are individualized, and vary according to each baby’s personal requirements; that is because Allah has created a special system for this purpose. When the mother touches and cuddles her baby, her body comes into contact with pathogens colonizing the child and produces the appropriate antibodies and immune cells.
The milk of mothers of premature babies miraculously contains greater quantities of fat, protein, sodium, chloride and iron, very much in line with the baby’s needs. It has been shown that premature babies fed on their own mothers’ milk develop better eye functions and score better on intelligence tests, among other qualities.
Although this miraculous compound is called milk, it in fact consists of 90 percent water. Babies of course need water as well as nutrients and water or other substances from sources other than mother’s milk may not be sufficiently hygienic. With mother’s milk, however, the baby’s hydration needs are met in the most hygienic form.
The mother does not herself decide to produce mother’s milk, the ideal food for a baby needing protection and nutrition, inside her body. No mother can know what nutrients her baby needs at every moment nor can a mother control the content of the milk produced inside her. Even though its properties are still not fully understood, mother’s milk changes according to the baby’s particular stage of development and the content of the milk also vary accordingly. Almighty Allah, Who knows and meets all living things’ needs, creates mother’s milk for the baby inside its mother.
Nutritional Value Varies
Mother’s milk contains different levels of nutrients to meet differing growth requirements depending on the baby’s sex. Experiments have shown that the fat, protein, vitamin, sugar, mineral and hormone levels in mother’s milk all vary for male or female infants. The structure of mother’s milk has a direct effect, not just on the child’s growth, but also on its behavior. Research has shown that milk produced for male infants is 35 percent richer in fat and protein. Although milk produced for girls is less fatty, it is very rich in calcium; this enables girls’ skeletons to grow faster.
It Contains Special Therapies
It has recently been shown that mother’s milk, about which hundreds of scientific papers have been published, protects babies against cancer, although the mechanism involved is still unclear. Researchers say that when mother’s milk was shown to kill cancer cells produced in the laboratory this unlocked a huge potential. Catharina Svanborg, a doctor and immunologist at Lund University in Sweden, was part of a team that discovered these miraculous secrets of mother’s milk. The Lund University team described the way that mother’s milk protects against all kinds of cancer as a miraculous discovery.
Another important property of mother’s milk in terms of the baby’s development is that it contains Omega-3 fatty acids. The Omega-3 fatty acids are an important compound in the human brain and retina and are particularly important for newborn babies. Omega-3 also contributes to the proper development of the brain and nerves throughout pregnancy and early infancy.
Tailor-Made for a Baby’s Needs
In addition to meeting the baby’s physiological needs, mother’s milk also meets its psychological ones. The baby grows to the sound of its mother’s heart inside the womb; it hears that same sound as it suckles its mother’s breast. This makes the baby feel happy and calm. A baby that feels secure in this way from the moment of its birth will develop more healthily in psychological terms. Allah creates a special bond between mother and baby. One verse reveals that:
“We have instructed man concerning his parents. Bearing him caused his mother great debility and the period of his weaning was two years: ‘Give thanks to Me and to your parents. I am your final destination’.” (Qur’an, 31:14)
It is exceptionally beneficial for the baby to be fed on mother’s milk for two years. This important information, only recently discovered by science, was revealed by Allah in the Qur’an 14 centuries ago: “Mothers should nurse their children for two full years …” (Qur’an, 2:233)
Harun Yahya has authored more than 300 books translated in 73 languages on politics, religion and science.
Source: http://www.arabnews.com/islam-perspective/news/696711
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