Breastfeeding week inaugurated

Army men are famous for hitting the targets with precision and perfection. However, currently they are busy in contributing towards achieving significant targets, all for the good of mankind and making the future of the nation stronger and smarter by celebrating the world breast feeding week from August 1 to 7. This year’s World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) theme - “Breastfeeding A Winning Goal - for Life!” , truly responds to the current millennium developmental goals by sustaining the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding, and engaging as many groups, and people of various ages as possible. Exclusive breastfeeding and adequate complementary feeding are key interventions for improving child survival, potentially saving the lives of about 20% of children under five, said Maj Gen AK Das, Commandant, Command Hospital Lucknow. During the inauguration of the awareness programme, on Saturday, chief guest of the occasion, Raksha Chaudhry showed concern over the poor percentage of mothers giving exclusive breast feeding and highlighted the various advantages of breastfeeding to the baby, mother and the society. Uma Das emphasized the need of breast feeding and personally motivated young nursing mothers to ensure exclusive breast feeding. Col Rakesh Gupta of pediatrics department informed about various diseases and malnutrition problems due to lack of adequate breast feeding and increasing use of bottle feeding. He emphasized to follow the WHO, UNICEF and national guidelines for exclusive breast feeding during first six months and continue breast feeding along with complementary feeding up to two years. By following this policy, child can be protected for over 150 diseases.