Only 35 per cent of mothers exclusively breastfeed their babies up to six months in Puducherry. This percentage is lower than the national average of 53.
“Breast milk is important for the physical wellbeing and growth of a baby’s brain. Mothers have to breastfeed their babies up to six months without resorting to cow’s milk or formula milk,” said R. Murali, Dean, Mother Theresa Post Graduate and Research Institute of Health Sciences.
He spoke at a rally organised by the Mother Theresa Post Graduate and Research Institute of Health Sciences to observe the World Breastfeeding Week 2016. Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy flagged off the rally on Monday.
With the theme – ‘Breastfeeding: Key to Sustainable Development’, Indira Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute, Department of Community Medicine with Food and Nutrition Board – Puducherry Unit, Mother Theresa Post Graduation and Research Institute of Health Science, Newborn Young Child Feeding Foundation (NYCF) and National Trainers, Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India, celebrated the World Breastfeeding Week.
Dr. Murli underlined that many mothers complain of insufficient breast milk to feed their babies. “The reason for insufficient secretion of breast milk is only psychological. The role of family and friends is very vital in order to provide the psychological support a mother needs to breastfeed her child,” he said.
Supriya K. Vinod, a National Trainer for Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India, added that mothers should be relaxed and in a comfortable ambience while breastfeeding their babies. “There is always production of breast milk and complaints of insufficient breast milk are related to secretion. Hence, women should be in a good psychological state to breastfeed their babies,” Dr. Supriya said.
World Breastfeeding Week in Puducherry will be celebrated with a week-long awareness programme at health centres, medical colleges and public spaces.
While the first day began with an awareness rally carried out by students of medical colleges, an awareness programme including power-point presentations, villu paatu , a play and pamphlet distribution will be held at different women’s colleges across Puducherry. It will be followed by an awareness programme at hospitals and medical colleges on the third day and at five Primary Health Centres on the fourth day. The organisers are planning to target the women’s polytechnic on the fifth day. On the last two days, awareness programmes will be held at public spaces.
At Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), the breastfeeding week celebration was kick started by an awareness rally in which nursing students, MBBS students, nurses and faculty from department of neonatology, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology and the college of nursing participated in large numbers.
The rally was flagged off by JIPMER Director S.C. Parija. The flagging was preceded by a short talk by Vishnu Bhat, Dean (Research) and Head of the Department of Neonatology. The nursing superintendent, senior nurses and faculty from nursing college also participated. The rally started from the entrance of JIPMER women and babies’ hospital, moved along the hospital roads and ended in the College of Nursing.
Apart from the rally, the Department of Neonatology in coordination with other stakeholders (Department of Pediatrics, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and the college of Nursing) has planned several other activities for the entire week to promote breastfeeding.
