A MOTHER’S BEST GIFT TO THE WORLD

From the cradle to the grave, maybe a cliché but it is vital and true in the case of breastfeeding. People-friendly nutritionists have found that if babies are breastfed for at least 6 months or preferably more, their immune system would be stronger, their confidence and IQ higher and they are likely to play a bigger role in making society a better place.

World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated every year from August 1-7 to encourage breastfeeding and improve the health of babies around the world. According to the World Health Organisation(who), it marks the Innocenti Declaration signed in August 1990 by government policymakers, WHO, UNICEF and other organisations to protect, promote and support breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding is the best way to provide infants with the nutrients they need. WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding starting within one hour after birth until at least baby is 6 months old. Nutritious complementary foods could then be added while continuing to breastfeed for up to 2 years or beyond, the WHO says.

This year, WHO is working with UNICEF and partners to promote the importance of helping mothers breastfeed their babies within that crucial first hour of life. Skin-to-skin contact along with suckling at the breast stimulates the production of breastmilk, including colostrum, also called the baby’s ‘first vaccine’, which is rich in nutrients and antibodies.

However the WHO says the Global Breastfeeding Scorecard, which evaluated 194 nations, has found that only 40 per cent of children younger than six months are breastfed exclusively which means given nothing but breast milk and only 23 countries have exclusive breastfeeding rates above 60 per cent. “Breastfeeding gives babies the best possible start in life. Breast milk works like a baby’s first vaccine, protecting infants from potentially deadly diseases and giving them all the nourishment they need to survive and thrive,” said WHO’S Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Only Rs. 750 for a newborn is required to increase the rate of exclusive breastfeeding among children under six months to 50 per cent by 2025. In other words breast milk is not only priceless but also precious because it increases the bond of love between the mother and the child.

Thankfully, Sri Lanka could be proud that it is the first in breastfeeding, according to UNICEF’S Health and Nutrition Officer Dr. Dhammika Rowel. This is good news despite intensified efforts by milk powder companies to promote substitutes for breast milk. Addressing a news conference at the Health Promotion Bureau in Colombo on Tuesday Dr. Rowel also pointed out breastfed infants developed confidence and their IQ level increased to more than 10 points.

The Health Ministry along with other public and private organisations will conduct country-wide programmes to make mothers aware of the need to and the benefits they could obtain by breastfeeding for at least 6 months and preferably for about 2 years. According to the UNICEF Nutrition officer a child’s brain grows during the first three years in his or her life and breast milk helps the children become confident, energetic and healthy adults. She urged that breast feeding working mothers be given day care facilities in state and private institutions.

Health Promotion Bureau Director Dr. Paba Palihawadana also said breast milk increased immunity of infants while protecting the mother from breast and ovarian cancers. She said Breast milk reduced the risk of developing Non Communicable Diseases when infants became adults and therefore all infants should be breastfed during the first six months without any other liquid or food. Dr. Palihawadana also said breast milk was the best food that could be given to an infant during travelling, when facing a natural disaster and when the mother or child fell sick.

Consultant Gynaecologist Dr. U.D.P. Rathnasiri said breastfeeding also reduced the risk of developing Postpartum Depression in mothers. If mothers did not breastfeed, it could lead to various complications when the milk was collected in the breasts. Breastfeeding could also cut down the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes in mothers, he said.

International lactation consultant Pamela Wiggins has said breastfeeding is a mother’s gift to herself, her baby and the earth. We hope our mothers, especially the younger ones, will remember this.