HEALTH: Interesting Uses for Breast Milk

Breast milk is the ideal source of nutrition for a child. In addition to nutrition, human milk is comprised of other components that help keep infants healthy and allow them to fight off diseases and infections. These natural antibodies, as well as the anti-infective, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties provide some other interesting uses for breast milk.

Breast milk has many legitimate medical uses and can be used in hospitals to treat a variety of patients. It has also been used in home remedies.

• Eye Infections/Ear Infections: In some cultures, breast milk has been used to treat eye infections and conjunctivitis. It has also been thought to help heal an ear infection.
• Cuts, Minor Burns, Small Wounds: It has been placed onto cuts, burns and wounds to prevent infection and promote healing.
• Immune Boost: Drinking breast milk is thought to provide an immune boost to decrease the length and severity of a cold.
• Warts: Some claim that if breast milk is placed on a wart, the wart may dry up and fall off.
• Itching and Stinging: Breast milk has been applied to the skin to provide relief from insect bites, bee stings, chicken pox, poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac.
• Moisturizer: It has been used as a moisturizer to treat dry skin and eczema. It has also been used to relieve chapped lips, loosen cradle cap, and treat diaper rash.
• Sore/Cracked Nipples: If rubbed into sore, cracked nipples, it is thought to relieve pain, prevent infection, and assist in healing.
• Circumcision: Human milk has been used to prevent and treat infections at the site of a circumcision.
• Sore Throat: It has been tried as a gargle to relieve a sore throat.
• Skin Cleanser: Breast milk has been used to wash the skin, remove make-up, and clear up acne.
• Contact Lenses: Human milk has been used as contact lens solution.
• Cooking: Breast milk has been used in recipes in place of cow’s milk. It has been placed in coffee and cereal, and has been made into butter, cheese and other dairy products.

Breast milk sometimes is used in hospitals for:

• Nutrition: Breast milk is used to provide nutrition for premature infants, infants with failure to thrive, people with severe allergies, those with cardiac disorders or renal failure, and people with feeding intolerances.
• Patients With a Compromised Immune System: It is given to cancer patients, organ transplant recipients and people with infectious diseases to help strengthen their immune system.
• Burn Patients: Human milk can help protect and heal the skin of burn patients.
• Surgical Patients: Breast milk helps provide nutrition and promote healing in people with intestinal surgeries.
• Preventative Uses: Donor milk is also used in certain populations of patients to help prevent Crohn’s disease, colitis and allergies.
  READ MORE:  http://news.naij.com/65962.html