GURUGRAM:
Haryana showed a significant improvement in the
National Family Health Survey (NFHS) report on breastfeeding of 2015-16, released last year, compared to its performance in 2005-06, when the survey was last carried out.
According to last year’s report, 42.4% children under three years of age were breastfed within an hour of birth, compared to 22.3% in 2005-06. In case of children under 6 months of age who were exclusively breastfed, the 2015-16 figure trebled to 50.3%, from 16.9% in 2005-06.
World Breastfeeding week is being observed across Haryana from Thursday onward, to generate awareness on breastfeeding children up to six months after birth. All week, Asha workers will meet women in villages to educate them on breastfeeding. According to the chief medical officer’s office at
Civil Hospital, the government’s flagship programme to promote breastfeeding in the state, Mother’s Absolute Affection (MAA), has done quite well.
Nupur Gupta, senior consultant, gynaecology, at Paras Hospital, said, “The state government and hospitals are promoting awareness among expectant parents on breastfeeding during antenatal as well as postnatal check-ups.”
Dr Mayur Dass, consultant,
obstetrics and gynaecology, Max Super-speciality Hospital, said, “Some of the important things mothers were taught include initiation to breastfeeding within the first hours of life, exclusive breastfeeding for 6 month i.e. only breast milk without any additional food or drink, not even even water, and breastfeeding on demand, i.e. as often as the child wanted, that too without use of bottles, teats or pacifiers.”
Notably, among other persistent problems, doctors said one in 30 women suffer inverted nipple deformity, which affects not only their self-esteem, but also their ability to breast-feed.
Many are unaware of the surgical options to correct the problem, the doctors said.
Representative image
