Breastfeeding children with Down syndrome

Even if nutrition is a common need of all children, there are some specifics related to this area for children with Down syndrome. Breastfeeding is an ideal natural way of feeding the baby, and it fulfills all of the baby’s requirements needed for growth and development (Vistoropski, 2013). It includes several advantages, both for the baby and for the mother (Skale, 2010). Children with Down syndrome are born with many health specialties, which can present a barrier to breastfeeding. Nonetheless, breastfeeding a baby with Down syndrome is possible and also useful (Sekcija za Downov sindrom, 2010; Breastfeeding a Baby with Down Syndrome, 2013). However, mothers need adequate help to successfully feed the baby with Down syndrome. The help should not only be focused on the baby, but the family as a whole. Psychological help is particularly valuable, as it helps the parents to face with their baby’s special needs (Pori, 2012). The mothers wish for more cooperation with the experts (Vajagič, 2008). They can achieve this through the early intervention model. It takes typical development milestones into account and follows the baby’s development of specific functions. With the early intervention model, we can design an assistance plan that systematically fosters and guides the baby’s learning process from the birth onwards. The parents and various experts take part in designing the early intervention plan. The experts usually involve a pediatrician, physical therapist, special educator, and speech therapist (Vajagič, 2008). By working together on the early intervention plan, we could connect different experts and the parents, thereby improving their communication and cooperation. We would also fulfill the parents’ wish for experts’ home visits, because the early intervention program can be executed at home, in special early intervention centers and in various pre-school institutions (Jurišič, 2009; Kastelic, 2009). In my bachelor’s thesis, I based my empirical part on 26 survey questionnaires, filled out by the mothers of babies with Down syndrome, born after 2005. I wanted to explore general characteristics of breastfeeding among mothers of babies with Down syndrome in Slovenia, their attitude towards this matter, their handling and experience of it. I also examined their needs for help and wishes for future developments on this field. I found that the surveyed mothers are strongly in favor of breastfeeding and that half of them were successful in breastfeeding. The breastfeeding took more time than for the mothers of babies without Down syndrome. Almost all the mothers I surveyed faced different barriers in breastfeeding. Less informed mothers had more issues with this matter. The mothers answered that they were generally pleased with the help they received, but would have liked to cooperate with different experts to a greater extent. They highlighted the fact they would like more multidisciplinary and systematic treatment of their baby, more encouragement, persistence, and understanding of the experts