The Hindu : New Delhi News : MCD to launch awareness campaign to promote breastfeeding

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Thursday, Jul 26, 2007
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New Delhi

MCD to launch awareness campaign to promote breastfeeding

Staff Reporter

“Early initiation of breastfeeding reduces Infant Mortality Rate”

NEW DELHI: The MCD will launch an awareness campaign at Maternal and Child Welfare Centres across the Capital to dispel general misconceptions about breastfeeding. This is in preparation for the “World Breastfeeding Week” to be observed worldwide from August 1 to 7. A two-day sensitisation workshop for doctors organised by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi ended at Hindu Rao Hospital here on Tuesday.

Addressing the media at Hindu Rao Hospital here , Dr. V. K. Monga, Chairman of the Medical Relief and Public Health Committee, said the World Health Organisation had trained nine health care personnel who would impart training to doctors and paramedical staff at Hindu Rao and other MCD-run hospitals. The trained doctors and nurses would in turn educate the masses.

According to Dr. Monga, one of the reasons for the high infant mortality in the country was diarrhoea and consequent malnutrition, both of which could be avoided by promoting breast feeding.

“It has been recognised that early initiation of breastfeeding (within the first hour of birth) is the most vital step for reducing Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and ‘Under Five Mortality Rate (death of children below five years of age). If popularised, breastfeeding could reduce the under-five deaths by 13 per cent globally and by 16 per cent in India. Early breast feeding could save 2,50,000 infants annually in India,” he said, adding that in Delhi less than 40 per cent newborns receive breastfeeding within the first hour.

Dr. Monga said the decision to breastfeed all newborns required that the medical profession and the community work towards universalisation of breastfeeding. The trained doctors are expected to not only sensitise the staff and patients, educate pregnant mothers and give nutritional guidance in ante-natal clinics but also inform the community at large about the benefits of breastfeeding.

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