Over
40% of newborns not breastfed within an hour of birth
More than 90% of deliveries take place
in hospitals in Karnataka, but only 56% of newborns are breastfed within an
hour of birth, according to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) 2015-16.
The colostrum, or first milk from a mother, is considered essential as it contains antibodies that can give thebaby resistance to neonatal infections. Four out of 10 newborns in Karnataka miss out on this crucial first-hour feed, according to NHFS data. Dr Kishore Kumar, chairman and neonatologist, Cloudnine Group of Hospitals, attributes this to the prevalence of myths and lack of awareness."In many cases, it is blind belief that holds the mother back from feeding the baby immediately after birth," he said. Lakshmy Ramanathan, author of For Bumpier Times: An Indian Mother's Guide to 101 Pregnancy and Childcare Practices, explained some of the traditional practices that keep mothers from feeding babies immediately.
The colostrum, or first milk from a mother, is considered essential as it contains antibodies that can give thebaby resistance to neonatal infections. Four out of 10 newborns in Karnataka miss out on this crucial first-hour feed, according to NHFS data. Dr Kishore Kumar, chairman and neonatologist, Cloudnine Group of Hospitals, attributes this to the prevalence of myths and lack of awareness."In many cases, it is blind belief that holds the mother back from feeding the baby immediately after birth," he said. Lakshmy Ramanathan, author of For Bumpier Times: An Indian Mother's Guide to 101 Pregnancy and Childcare Practices, explained some of the traditional practices that keep mothers from feeding babies immediately.
"In northern states, many families wait for the baby's paternal aunt to perform a puja before breastfeeding is initiated. If the aunt has to come from another city, the baby is sustained with water and multiple sources of milk.This denies the baby the invaluable colostrum, ups the risk of gastrointesti nal infections and suppresses the suckling reflex. Down south, it's more common to see newborns offered honey, holy water and gold paste as pre-lacteal feeds," she said. Dr Anita Arockiasamy, president, India Home Health care (IHHC), which provides nursing services, said that the lack of awareness about the importance of breast feeding is unfortunate.
"It's sad that some families wait for holy water from some temples. In some cases they wait for a family member to come hoping the baby will become like that person. There is a myth that the first-hour feed is not healthy ," she added.
Source: www.timesofindia.com
06.08.2016
The simple
things are also the most extraordinary things, and only the wise can see them
Paulo
Coelho
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