World over, there has generally been a lot of empowerment and awakening of women. But there are still some areas where women are either ignorant or negligent, particularly when it comes to the well-being of their own self or their children.
One such critical aspect is breastfeeding of babies.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “Babies not breastfed are 14 times more likely to die before they reach their first birthday than babies who are exclusively breastfed.”WHO and UNICEF have recommended the early initiation of breastfeeding within 1 hour of birth, exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life, and the introduction of nutritionally adequate and safe complementary (solid) foods at 6 months, together with continued breastfeeding up to 2 years of age or beyond.
Despite such criticality, there are billions of women across the world who don’t use this natural way of nutritioning and nurturing their kids, either deliberately or due to ignorance.
To correct the situation, efforts are ongoing at the global level to encourage women to breastfeed their babies. Such efforts have also been given impetus in India by the government.According to the latest WHO data, prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding has increased by a remarkable 10 percentage points, to 48 percent globally, over the last decade.In India, it increased to 63.7 percent in 2019-20 from 54.9 percent in 2015-16.
Breastfeeding is a physiological process that not only protects children from various life-threatening diseases but also strengthens the bond between mother and child.
“Mother’s milk is a prime source of nutrition, packed with antibodies and essential nutrients vital for a baby’s growth and development.It contains antibodies, enzymes, and immune cells that protect infants from various infections, illnesses, and allergies. It is a natural elixir that contains rich nutrients, vitamins, proteins, and fat, which are essential for the physical as well as mental growth of a child. It not only protects infants but also reduces the risk of high blood pressure and breast and ovarian cancer among mothers.”
In urban places, many working women fail to breastfeed their babies, arguing the lack of available time for the babies. Thus, the natural practice of breastfeeding has been replaced with bottle feeding or formula milk feeding, as it provides more freedom and flexibility to mothers.Over the period of time, formula milk feeding has become a habit for many working mothers.
In India, the government has taken several steps to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding. It introduced the POSHAN Abhiyaan scheme, which focuses on social and behavioral change communication and thus explicitly paves the way for a mass movement to promote transformative change.The scheme addresses malnutrition-related challenges and creates awareness about holistic nutrition, including the promotion of optimal infant and young child feeding practices.
The government has also promoted early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and appropriate Infant and Young Child Feeding practices under Mother Absolute Affection (MAA).
The amendment to the decades-old Maternity Benefit Act is another important step in strengthening infant and young child feeding practices.The modification increases the duration of paid maternity leave available for women employees from 12 weeks to 26 weeks.It directed employers to establish one creche at the workplace or within 500 meters for every 30 children between 6 months to 6 years.
Counseling is being provided to pregnant women and lactating mothers on infant and young child feeding practices under the Anganwadi Services Scheme.
Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), a centrally sponsored conditional benefit scheme of the government, aims to provide cash incentives to partly compensate the wage loss to improve health-seeking behavior among pregnant women and lactating mothers.
A beginning has been made in this area, but a lot more has to be done.Breastfeeding needs to be normalized not only in India but across the world.People, both women and men, need to see and consider breastfeeding as a common and healthy practice.Formula milk-producing companies should market and advertise the importance of breastfeeding along with the promotion of their product.
National and international authorities should anticipate the requirements of mothers and children and make the necessary arrangements like nursing rooms and creche facilities.
These facilities should be made available at designated public places like malls, railway stations, metro stations, and bus stands. People need to realize that breastfeeding is not something to be ashamed of; it is a part of our lives and essential for the growth of children. It is nature’s gift, a blessing for humans.
(The Author is Communication Officer, Masters in Gender and Development Studies)
