Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 5 Aug: On the occasion of World Breastfeeding Week, Dr Sujata Sanjay provided awareness about breastfeeding through a radio talk held under the Skill Development Programme on 4 August.
World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated every year from 1 to 7 August, the purpose of which is to spread awareness in society about the importance of mother’s milk and encourage breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding is not just a process of providing nutrition, but the first strong relationship between mother and child. It is a precious gift of nature which gives the newborn the right start in life.
Dr Sujata Sanjay is a gynaecologist and obstetrician. She said, breastfeeding is a natural right. World Breastfeeding Week reminds that ‘we all need to create an environment where every mother gets support and facilities for breastfeeding’.
Breast milk is a complete diet for the baby for the first six months, which contains all the necessary nutrients. The antibodies present in mother’s milk protect the baby from diseases like infection, diarrhoea, and pneumonia.
Breastfeeding babies have faster brain development and their weight also increases in a healthy manner. The baby gets emotional comfort from the mother’s touch.
Breastfeeding increases the oxytocin hormone, which causes the uterus to shrink quickly and come back to its normal size. Women who breastfeed regularly have been found to have a lower risk of diseases. It helps in burning calories, which makes it easier to lose weight after delivery.
Dr Sujata believes that, if the baby is breastfed within 1 hour of birth, then thousands of newborns can be saved from dying. It is very important to give only mother’s milk to the baby for the first six months. Mother’s milk contains all the nutrients in the right proportion – there can be no alternative. The milk that is produced in the mother’s body in the beginning during pregnancy is called colostrum. Colostrum is rich in nutrients and antibodies that protect the baby from infections and other diseases.
Dr Sujata Sanjay added that mother’s milk is a complete diet for the baby. Breastfeeding develops the child’s IQ well. Apart from this, breastfeeding gives women relief from obesity, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, stress, depression and bleeding after delivery.
She concluded that breastfeeding is not just a mother’s work, it is the responsibility of the entire society. A healthy beginning starts with mother’s milk.
