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Breastfeeding : Ensuring Sound Health of the Child

by Dr Md Abdur Hahman
Breastfeeding has been considered to be the birth right of children from the time immemorial. Almost every mother can breastfeed their children, and probably less than one in hundred may have some difficulties. Before 1850 every newborn was breastfed and an alternative to breastmilk was not known. If a mother failed to breastfed a "mid-wife" (Dhal-Ma) was found out to feed the baby. It was In the later half of the nineteenth century that artificial feeding started making place in the baby's nutrition and the practice reached the peak in the last few decades. After the Second World War the artificial means of Infant feeding have become more available and the dependance on the breastmilk, has been Considerably reduced In the Industrialised countries more mothers started to work outside home and felt the necessity of artificial feeding. So the practice of artificial feeding entered first In the developed countries and subsequently was popularised in the developing countries.
Attractive advertisement and the propaganda stunt for artificial feeding showing the pictures of healthy babies sucking bottle on the lap of a modem day women is also a great factor for the reduction of breastfeeding. In the modern civilization over-conci-ousness of mothers, especially of the urban affluent families, about their social status acts as another detrimental factor for the declining of breastfeeding practice. The urban affluents are sometimes followed by their less affluent rural coun-
terparts without considering the Ill-effects of artificial feeding.
Human breastmilk Is an Ideal food for healthy growth and development of infants. It forms a unique biological and emotional basis for the health of mother and child. In laying down the foundation of good health and Improving the quality of life, breastmilk Is niost ideal, safe and a complete nourishment. It meets all the nutritional needs of the baby safely and adequately to least up to 4-6 months of age. It is nature's way of ensuring sound and healthy start to life.
The unique composition of breastmilk is its another beauty. The composition of milk in _th« mother's breast changes With the passing of days and with the growing need oPthe child. As the digestive system of the newborn Is yet to be developed, mother's breast offers the child milk with less fat centent in the early stage and subsequently with the passing of time it become thicker, fat content and the content of some other elements incerease to suit the requirement of the growing child.
Besides nutritional compo-nertts breastmilk has many other properties: ft has anti-infective elements; breastfed babies are less susceptible to certain deadly diseases like eczma, asthma, coronary heart disease, disease of the nervous system called mutiple sclerosis. Towrin, an Important component of the mother's milk revealed in a recent research. helps in the develop-
ment of the human brain, it is present In lelss quantity in the cow's milk as calves are born with fully developed brain and does not require much of the towrin. Regrettably, this element Is totally absent from tinned powder milk. So. a baby born with a small brain and deprived of breast milk, has a great probability of being less Intelligent than the baby who subsist on mother's milk.
Breastmilk, also contains high amount of lactose, essen tial for the development of brain. More free aminoacid content of breast milk, helps developing brain and better tissue .synthesis. Human milk has the lowest solute load of all mammals with low sodtum and protein content. Sodium content in a cow's milk is seven times higher than the mother's milk. Low sodium, potassium and phosphate content of breast milk contribute correct osmolarity to the child's plasma and save developing brain and kidney from over loading of solute. It is being observed from several studies that some of the infant formulas may contain aluminium 200 times more than that found in the mother's milk. This is identified as a causative factor for damaging the brain, producing anaemia and some bone diseases. Lactoglobulin in the cow's milk may produce allergy.
The Situation in Bangladesh
Breastfeeding is almost a common practise in Bangladesh. It is known that with a
few exceptions almost all the mothers successfully feed i heir babies wjth breast milk. But In practice, some discre-pencies are noticed Exclusive breastfeeding Is virtually nonexistent In this country. Almost every mother gives prelacteal food like honey, glucose water, cow/goat's milk or infant formulas to their newborns. Many of them do not know the value of colostrum ' Aiding up the child's health
Most of the health personnel Including doctors and nurses are not fully aware of the Importance of successful breastfeeding. Instead of advising a mother who Is unable or hesitant to breastfeed her newly-born child some health personnel consciously or unconsciously advise her to give prelacteal feeding or even artificials.
A recent study shows that on an average only one-third of the newborns are given breastfeeding wlthlti half an hour after birth: one-third between half an hour and 72 hour's, the rest are put to their mother's breast after 3 days of delivery. In another study the results are more discouraging where only 10 per cent of the rural mothers are found to start breastfeeding within the first two days of birth and nearly half of them start within 3rd days and remaining after 3 days of birth. Almost all the newborns are given prelacteal feeding. Many mothers start artificial feeding. either too early or too late.
The writer is Local Consultant. MCHProgramme Coordination Cell.