Women sensitised to benefits of breastfeeding

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, August 7

To sensitise women to the benefits of breastfeeding, an awareness camp was organised by the District Family Welfare Officer at Parasram Nagar on Wednesday. 

The camp was organised to mark World Breastfeeding Week (August 1-7).Dr Gurdeep Singh, District Family Welfare Officer, said, “Mother’s milk provide natural nutrition to the infant and aid his/her holistic physical and mental growth. It has all the required ingredients of a health and nutritious diet that helps in growth of the child. Also, mother’s milk is very essential for the infant after initial hours of delivery. It prevents the child of deadly diseases and infections and strengthens the immunity.”

“Infants deprived of mother’s milk for the first six months are more prone to infections/viruses. So, it is important that all women must ensure that they breastfeed their infants exclusively for at least first six months,” added Dr Gurdeep.

Breastfeeding not only helped in sound health and overall growth of the infant, but also helped in burning extra calories (weight gain post pregnancy) in mothers. Besides, chances of ovarian and breast cancers among such mothers are quite low. Breastfeeding helps in developing a strong emotional bond between mother and child. 

It also helps in balanced weight gain of the infant.

The standard guidelines issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO) state that an infant must exclusively be breastfed for the first six months after birth and even water and medicines must be avoided for this period as mother’s milk (70% water) compensates for it.