<i>Breastfeeding can save lives of 37,000 newborns a year</i>
Experts at a workshop yesterday said some 1.20 lakh newborn dies in the country every year due to preventable diseases and of them, lives of around 37,000 babies could be saved by early initiation of breast milk.
They stressed the need for promoting breastfeeding for the babies for their proper growth, saying breastfeeding within one hour of child birth could save its life and the rate of child's getting diarrhoea, pneumonia and other diseases reduce significantly if it is breastfed properly avoiding the infant formulas available in the market.
The experts said this at the workshop jointly organised by Save the Children UK, Eminence and The Editor at IDB Bhaban in the city with Centre for Women and Child Health (CWCH) Chairman Prof MQ-K Talukder in the chair.
“The rate of diarrhoeal deaths among the children, who were not breastfed, is 17 times more than those who were breastfed properly, while it is four times more in the case of pneumonia,” said Dr Khurshid Talukder, research coordinator of CWCH.
He also underscored the need for breastfeeding for the mental and physical health of the children and for the sake of mothers also.
Breast milk is the best drink for the babies and up to six months, the mother need not provide water for her child, let alone formula milk, Dr Khurshid said, adding that after six months it should be provided with complementary diet that must be cooked at home along with the mother's milk, which can go on for two years of its age.
Breastfeeding helps develop the mother-child bonding, it helps delaying a new pregnancy and increase immune system of the mother, improves mother's nutrition and protects mother's health also, he said.
He further said, “Lives of one-third mothers of around 16,000 who die every year due to pregnancy-related complications could be saved also if they start breastfeeding their children within an hour of their birth as feeding breast milk is equally important for the mother.”
Drawing elaborative distinction between mother's milk and cow's milk for the children, the experts also said that cow's milk is not easily digestive for the children and nothing could be more suitable for the babies than breast milk.
As the rate of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) has been stuck to 43 percent in the country, the rate of under-5 malnutrition has also been stuck for several years which should be improved soon, they said, adding that the EBF situation of the country is worse even than that of Nepal, Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan.
“It is a must to ensure proper infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practice for ensuring children's nutrition, growth and intelligence as it involves the future of our next generation,” said Prof Talukder.
He stressed the importance of the positive role of media in promoting breastfeeding, saying that the melamine issue once again has proved that the artificial baby formulas are harmful for our children's health.
Chief Executive of Eminence Dr Shamim Hayder Talukder moderated the session which was also addressed by Director of Institute of Public Health and Nutrition (IPHN) Fatima Parveen Choudhury, Secretary General of Bangladesh Breastfeeding Foundation Prof Soofia Khatun and Maskawat Ahsan of The Editor.
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