DHAKA, Oct 17, 2018 (BSS/UNICEF FEATURE) – Breastfeeding must be continued
up to two years for babies to ensure both their physical and cognitive
development, health experts told BSS.
Alongside continuation of breastfeeding, complimentary feeding should be
introduced to children after completion of 6 months of age, they added.
Chairperson of Bangladesh Breastfeeding Foundation Dr SK Roy said, “We
found that nutritional status was normal and trend of illness was very low
among the children who are given exclusive breast- feeding. On the other
hand, children who are not exclusively breastfed were affected by different
diseases including diarrhea and pneumonia.”
Terming breastfeeding as the safe food for children, he said children can
easily digest it and it helps ensure proper mental and physical growth with
reducing the chance of illness.
Lack of knowledge and awareness on breastfeeding and supplementary food
lead to malnutrition among under-five children, Dr Roy said adding
breastfeeding should be maintained from first hour of children up to two
years side by side properly cooked complementary food for maintaining
nutritional status of under-five children.
Dr Roy said after delivery, every mother should be given nutritious food
so that they can give adequate breast milk to her child.
Nutrition of children under five is a comprehensive issue, he said adding,
“We cannot expect a healthy child without ensuring a healthy mother”.
Dr Rukhsana Haider, chairperson of Training and Assistance for Health and
Nutrition Foundation (THAN), said early initiation of breastfeeding meaning
to provide breast milk to infant within one hour of birth will ensure their
healthy growth alongside enhancing the immune system of the body.
“Infants should be given first breast milk (colostrum), which is rich in
antibodies and contains a larger percentage of protein, minerals and fat
soluble vitamin than mature milk,” she added.
“Generally, colostrum (first breast milk) is available up to five days
after giving birth of a child. Sometimes it exists up to three days. So, we
should feed colostrum to our children within one hour of their births,” she
added.
Dr Rukhsana, also co-chair of World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action
(WABA), said feeding of first breast milk should not be ignored as it is the
first immunization for children, which protects them from many diseases.
Feeding colostrum to infants has long-term health benefits, she added.
Breast milk is the ideal food for infants and an important part of diet of
young children, she said, adding intervention to protect and promote early
breastfeeding can greatly improve child survival, averting their deaths.
“Breastfeeding helps prevent dehydration. Optimum breastfeeding practices
also improve cognitive, motor and socio-emotional development as well as
learning capacity,” Dr Ruksana added.
According to a study paper of Bangladesh Breastfeeding Foundation,
breastfeeding to infants within one-hour after their birth can reduce 31
percent infant mortality rate while 13 percent child mortality rate can be
reduced through breastfeeding till six-month-old.
It said intellectual development of the babies who are breastfed till
specific period is 2.6 times better than those who are not.
The rate of breastfeeding within one-hour after birth was 24 percent in
2004 while it stood at 45 percent in 2007, 47 percent in 2011 and 57 percent
in 2014, the study paper added.