Breastfeeding indispensable for growth of babies: Speaker

Speakers at a post-rally discussion here yesterday said sufficient breastfeeding is very important for physical and mental development of the babies and it is the best way to provide infants with the nutrients they need, reports BSS from Rajshahi. They viewed malnutrition is responsible, directly or indirectly, for about one thirds of deaths among children under five. Above two thirds of these deaths occur because of inappropriate feeding practices during the first year of life. So, there should be adequate measures to encourage every lactating mother to breastfeed their babies instead of depending on any other supplementary feed till their age of six months.  Rajshahi Civil Surgeon Office organized the rally and discussion meeting in association with different other government, non-government and voluntary organizations in the city to mark the World Breastfeeding Week-2015.
Civil Surgeon Dr Abdus Sobhan, Deputy Civil Surgeon Dr Farhana Haque, Senior Health Education Officer Sazzad Hossain, Junior Health Education Officer Abdur Rahman, Nursing College teacher Ferdousi Begum and Health Inspector of Rajshahi City Corporation Ariful Haque spoke on the occasion, among others. The speakers said Bangladesh has achieved tremendous success in increasing exclusive breastfeeding rate among children below six months, to up to 64 per cent by 2011 from only 43 per cent in 2007 and this rate has been rising significantly.
The breast milk has extraordinary advantages and the newborns exclusively need first breast milk within an hour as it contains nutritious colostrums and antibodies that make them stronger enhancing immune system and disease resistance capacities, they said. They said breast milk is the best food for the newborn babies and stressed for timely initiation of breastfeeding after one hour of birth, exclusive breastfeeding for six months and its continuation for two years along with adequate complementary foods.
Civil Surgeon Dr Abdus Sobhan called for creating social awareness about breastfeeding as many mothers still do not know importance of first breast milk depriving the newborn babies of the first breast milk, which renders children more prone to illness and weakens their immune system.

 

Breastfeeding indispensable for growth of babies: Speaker

Speakers at a post-rally discussion here yesterday said sufficient breastfeeding is very important for physical and mental development of the babies and it is the best way to provide infants with the nutrients they need, reports BSS from Rajshahi. They viewed malnutrition is responsible, directly or indirectly, for about one thirds of deaths among children under five. Above two thirds of these deaths occur because of inappropriate feeding practices during the first year of life. So, there should be adequate measures to encourage every lactating mother to breastfeed their babies instead of depending on any other supplementary feed till their age of six months. Rajshahi Civil Surgeon Office organized the rally and discussion meeting in association with different other government, non-government and voluntary organizations in the city to mark the World Breastfeeding Week-2015. Civil Surgeon Dr Abdus Sobhan, Deputy Civil Surgeon Dr Farhana Haque, Senior Health Education Officer Sazzad Hossain, Junior Health Education Officer Abdur Rahman, Nursing College teacher Ferdousi Begum and Health Inspector of Rajshahi City Corporation Ariful Haque spoke on the occasion, among others. The speakers said Bangladesh has achieved tremendous success in increasing exclusive breastfeeding rate among children below six months, to up to 64 per cent by 2011 from only 43 per cent in 2007 and this rate has been rising significantly. The breast milk has extraordinary advantages and the newborns exclusively need first breast milk within an hour as it contains nutritious colostrums and antibodies that make them stronger enhancing immune system and disease resistance capacities, they said. They said breast milk is the best food for the newborn babies and stressed for timely initiation of breastfeeding after one hour of birth, exclusive breastfeeding for six months and its continuation for two years along with adequate complementary foods. Civil Surgeon Dr Abdus Sobhan called for creating social awareness about breastfeeding as many mothers still do not know importance of first breast milk depriving the newborn babies of the first breast milk, which renders children more prone to illness and weakens their immune system.