Breast feeding

Breast Feeding – The Need of the Hour

Why every year so many children suffer from dangerous diseases?
Did anyone think about the root-cause of an unhealthy child?
In this changing and competitive world, why poor health of a child should be a hurdle in his growth?

Breastfeeding

Today, many persons are moving towards westernization changing their life-styles with their mind-sets. Many mothers, as a result don’t feed their children after pregnancies. Many are working mothers, many think they shouldn’t feed to be in shape and maintain their body structure. It is totally a wrong perception. Science says every mother should feed her child to avoid the unhealthy growth of child. Plus, experts suggest that mothers can maintain their body structures by feeding their children. Immediately after the birth, children should be fed with the yellow milk known as colostrum. Only colostrum collected from the single first milking within 0-6 hours after birth maintains nature’s perfect balance and highest levels of immunological and body regulating biologically active proteins. The World Health Organization says, infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life “to achieve optimal growth, development and health. “Major causes of infant mortality are pneumonia and diarrhea that are very much preventable. Breast feeding protects the infants against the diseases and also boosts their immune system,”

India should be aware of all such unhealthy practices, for the future lies on the young shoulders of the country. Many such articles of experts are published on the internet to bring awareness amongst people. Media is also now actively participating in all such matters. We have the examples like Satyamev Jayate, Doordarshan channel that promotes such matters all over India etc. Again, many such social activities are promoted by THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE of our country. Under National Rural Health Commission, ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) is formed. It works as an interface between the community and the public health system.

Women should understand the need for a better society by nourishing the young generation physically, mentally and spiritually also. There has to be systematic knowledge and understanding of breastfeeding in all the countries so that the coming generation would be a healthier one. As a result, hospitals titled Baby Friendly in USA have a policy in place that is designed to promote breastfeeding. These ten steps are intended to help establish sound breastfeeding relationships for the mother/baby: (Lara, 2011)

  1. Have a written breastfeeding policy that is routinely communicated to all health care staff.
  2. Train all health care staff in skills necessary to implement this policy.
  3. Inform all pregnant women about the benefits and management of breastfeeding.
  4. Help mothers initiate breastfeeding within one hour of birth.
  5. Show mothers how to breastfeed and how to maintain lactation, even if they are separated
    from their infants.
  6. Give new-born infants no food or drink other than breast milk, unless medically indicated.
  7. Practice “rooming in”– allow mothers and infants to remain together 24 hours a day.
  8. Encourage breastfeeding on demand.
  9. Give no pacifiers or artificial nipples to breastfeeding infants.
  10. Foster the establishment of breastfeeding support groups and refer mothers to them on
    discharge from the hospital or clinic.

The above mentioned points should be considered by everyone so as to make a stronger society. Change your attitude towards breastfeeding activity as it is not a mere activity but a responsibility of all new mothers to nurture their children in the best possible way.

Let’s not destroy the destiny of our child by avoiding breastfeeding

“MOTHERHOOD IS GOD-GIFTED, LETS RESPECT THE GIFT BY BUILDING A HEALTHIER SOCIETY”

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