Editorial»
White gold
AUG 09 -
Health experts have expressed alarm at the dismal rate of breastfeeding among Nepali mothers. As compared to the 35 percent global average, just 30 percent of Nepali mothers exclusively breastfeed their infants for the first six months (as recommended by the World Health Organisation). This is important to keep the babies
disease-free by raising their immunity level. The main reason behind the dearth of Nepali mothers who follow the WHO recommendation—of six-month of exclusive breastfeeding and up to two years of supplemental breastfeeding—is the lack of awareness on its benefits. This is especially the case among new mothers in rural areas. But mothers in urban areas have also been found reluctant to breastfeed their infants. Many fear breastfeeding will make their bodies go out of shape. Many working moms, whose ranks in Nepali workforce are constantly swelling, have come to believe that it is an impractical option for them.
There is some justification for the apprehensions of these women. In some mothers the breasts do change shape when they start nursing infants. And it can be hard for working women to stick to a proper feeding schedule. But on the balance of things, the benefits of breastfeeding far outweigh its downsides. This is evident from the fact that health experts attribute depriving infants of breast milk to malnourishment among Nepali children. According to National Demographic Health Survey (NDHS), about 49 percent children under five are stunted and 38 percent are underweight. Often, these children are found to have been weaned off their mother’s
milk (if they were not entirely deprived of it) way too early
in their lives. A well breast-fed child’s immunity to all
kinds of diseases is many times that of one deprived of their mother’s milk; there is a strong positive correlation between breastfeeding and child’s health. There are benefits for mothers too. Breastfeeding has been found to increase maternal bonds, produce feel-good hormones in mothers, help in weight loss and delay the onset of cardiovascular diseases and various forms of cancer.
Breastfeeding can considerably lower the country’s health costs too. The low rate of breastfeeding among Americans—just 12 percent of American mothers exclusively breastfeed their babies for the first six months—is believed to cost American taxpayers US $13 billion annually. Though similar figures are not available for Nepal, it isn’t hard to see how the country stands to gain by promoting breastfeeding: in better health for its citizens, increase in labour productivity and health cost savings. The issue of breastfeeding received much attention during World Breastfeeding Week (Aug. 1-7) but tends to be put on the backburner for much of the rest of year. This is a far too important issue to ignore. There ought to be year-round programmes to urge more Nepali mothers to breastfeed their children. If women are made aware of all the benefits in terms of better health and happiness for their children, for their families as well as for themselves, many more new mothers can be expected to take this healthy course.
Posted on: 2010-08-10 09:02
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