Port Blair, Aug 04: The A & N Private Practicing Doctors Association (ANIPPDA) conducts world breast feeding week from 1-7th August 2013,world Breastfeeding Week’ is celebrated in more than 120 countries. Dr.A.P Bharadwaj, Pediatrician and Neonatologist said breast milk provides a perfect balance of all the nutrients babies need, it protects against infections and helps in brain development and above all it brings mother and babies together in a life long bond of love, mothers milk fulfils the infants need for hydration it contains nutrients, carbohydrate, proteins, fats, omega -3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acid, both are required for the development of brain and eye tissue. Breastfeeding also reduces a woman’s risk of cancer of the breast and ovaries. There is sharp decline in breastfeeding rates and practices the period when mothers do not visit a health care facility is the time when a community support system for mothers is essential for continued support to sustain breast feeding which can be provided by the family. However in particular with urbanization, support for mothers from a wider circle is needed whether it is provided by trained health workers, lactation consultants, community leaders or from friends who are also mother, the main objectives of this week is to draw attention to importance of support by helping mother to sustain breast feeding to inform highly effective benefits and encouraged breast feeding supporters regardless of their educational background. Some used to learn this skill from the older women in the community; our mothers, aunties and grandmothers who had breastfed before us, Breastfeeding can be challenging in the early days for many mothers. How do you hold your baby and make sure they attach correctly? How often should your baby be feeding? How do you know if your baby is getting enough milk? Breastfeeding can take patience and perseverance to get right. Producing breast milk may be a natural process, but the art of actually breastfeeding needs to be learned, thus an educational view is shown in Chirayu Child Care Centre through out the OPD hours, a communication received from Dr. Dinesh, General Secretary, of A & N Islands Private Practicing Doctors Association.
