New Proposed Maternity Leave
Facilitating mothers to exclusive breast-feeding
Healthy mother, healthy baby can make healthy nation. I think none will disagree this old wise note. At present in our country, infant mortality rate (IMR) is 52 and maternal mortality rate (MMR) is 3.6 — which is very high and not acceptable. Few years back, maternity leave was three months and later on extended to four months. Very recently, Honorable Prime Minister has announced to extended that up to six months. We all extend our thanks and gratitude to her for such announcement and hopefully waiting for its execution. We the pediatrician always advice the mother for exclusive breast feeding (only breast milk, nothing else) to their babies for six months. Maternity leave for six month may ensure and strengthen the exclusive breast feeding programme. This six month holidays are for the service holders and the percentage of working mother is probably less then 20% in Bangladesh. But fortunately or unfortunately most of our mothers are housewives and they do not have any holidays. My mother used to tell my father, "You all have holidays except me and till death I don't have any scope to enjoy holidays." This is true for most of our mothers. So, maternity leave alone is not the solution. We have to work simultaneously on other options also. If we really want to reduce IMR and MMR and make the nation healthy , we have to give emphasis on mothers' education and economic emancipation. Education not necessarily mean institutional education, there are various ways, means and types of education. Such as health education, nutritional education, family planning etc. and all have impact on health. Actually what we need? We need to bring change in the mind-set and attitude of all the members of family, society and community. Without community effort and participation no programme will give appropriate desired result. Dr Karim is a Child Specialist. E mail : mmukkhan@gmail.com
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