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Breastfeeding protects baby, mother too
TECHNOLOGY AND modern medicine may have changed the world, but for a baby the mother's milk is all that he needs to protect him from diseases and other afflictions.
TECHNOLOGY AND modern medicine may have changed the world, but for a baby the mother's milk is all that he needs to protect him from diseases and other afflictions.
To promote this idea, the seven-day World Breastfeeding Week (WBW)--urging women to breastfeed their babies-- started on Tuesday. This year the theme for the WBW is: Code Watch: 25 Years of Protecting Breastfeeding.
"The World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) is the greatest outreach vehicle for the breastfeeding movement, being celebrated in over 120 countries. Officially it is celebrated from August 1 to 7. This year's campaign is to highlight the importance of breastfeeding to protect mother's health as well as that of her baby," informed Dr Krishna Mukherjee, Additional Director, Medical, Kamala Nehru Memorial Hospital.
Dr Mukherjee said luckily in UP and especially in slums the women are very much aware of the benefits of breastfeeding. The mother's milk is the complete nutrition for the baby. "No other milk, food or drink is required. Babies should be breastfed within 1/2 to 1 hour of birth. They should be given Colostrum, the yellowish milk during first 2-3 days, Whereas, bottle-feeding is unnecessary and even harmful for babies. It is the leading cause of diarrhoea in infant," she said.
Dr Mukherjee said besides nutritional value, the breastfeeding is more economical than cow's milk. This holds good specially for women from middle social-economic group. Breastfeeding has advantages for mother's too. The breastfeeding acts as an indirect contraceptive for six months after child birth, provided the mother is fully breastfeeding her baby. It also reduces the risk of breast cancer before menopause, she added.
"But at the same time the mothers should also be made aware of the right posture of breastfeeding. It is important to make baby belch after every breastfeed to avoid any complications including gastric problem and infection in the respiratory tract. For this special workshop will be organised for mothers on Wednesday and Saturday during the week," she added.
Senior paediatrician Dr SAM Meesum said various programmes have been organised to promote breastfeeding, as it strengthens the immune system of a baby. These babies have higher IQ scores and generally healthy than artificially fed babies, he said.
