“Breastfeeding provides optimal nutrition, strengthens the immune system in infants: says Dr. Sunil Agrawal

Mohali, August 6, 2024: Mother’s milk provides optimal nutrition and strengthens the immune system as it contains essential proteins, fats, vitamins, and carbohydrates, which protects the baby from infection and disease. To encourage the practice of breastfeeding, World Breastfeeding Week is observed from August 1-7 every year across the globe, to raise awareness about the immense benefits of breastfeeding for both mothers and infants.

This year’s theme 2024, “Closing the gap: Breastfeeding support for all,” underscores the critical need to provide comprehensive support to breastfeeding mothers, ensuring every child has access to this invaluable source of nourishment. However, despite its numerous advantages, breastfeeding rates worldwide are still below recommended levels.

Recommendations:

Dr Sunil Kumar Agrawal, Neonatologist, Fortis Hospital Mohali said, “WHO and UNICEF recommend that mothers initiate breastfeeding within the first hour of birth and exclusively breastfed for the baby for the first 6 months of life, with no intake of any other foods or liquids, including water. Infants should be breastfed on demand – that is as often as the child wants, day and night. No bottles, teats or pacifiers should be used. From the age of 6 months, children should begin eating safe and adequate complementary foods while continuing to breastfeed for up to two years of age or beyond.”

Importance and benefits of breastfeeding:

Dr. Agrawal further elaborates, “Breastmilk is the ideal food for infants. It is safe, clean and contains antibodies which help protect against many common childhood illnesses. Breastmilk provides all the energy and nutrients that the infant needs for the first months of life, and it continues to provide up to half or more of a child’s nutritional needs during the second half of the first year, and up to one third during the second year of life.

Breastfed children perform better on intelligence tests, are less likely to be overweight or obese and less prone to diabetes later in life. Women who breastfeed also have a reduced risk of breast and ovarian cancers.”

What is needed to support breastfeeding moms:

Breastfeeding support comes in many forms –

“Women everywhere have the right to respectful breastfeeding counselling from trained health care providers, as well as laws and policies like maternity leave and provisions like paid time off when you go back to work”, he said.

The doctor suggested, support for women to breastfeed anytime, anywhere, so that it is normalized and not censured in public life, effective maternity entitlements that do not force women to choose between their families and their work, trained health professionals who can provide helpful, respectful breastfeeding support.