World Breastfeeding Week
10 steps to successful breastfeeding
Breastfeeding is one of the most effective ways to ensure child health and survival. Breastfeeding Week is celebrated every year from August 1 to 7 in order to encourage breastfeeding and improve the health of babies around the world. Breastfeeding in a proper way can make a real difference between life and death of a baby. The lives of nearly 37,000 Bangladeshi babies could be saved if breastfeeding is initiated within an hour of birth. Although breastfeeding has numerous benefits — both for mothers and their babies, it is not practiced widely due to the lack of knowledge. Still, the rate of initiation of breastfeeding within one hour is 24 percent and exclusive breastfeeding 43 percent. This year's theme for breastfeeding week is "Just 10 Steps! Breastfeeding the Baby-Friendly Way" focuses on successful ways of breastfeeding. Here are the 10 steps for the readers. Every facility providing maternity services and care for newborn infants should: 1. Have a written breastfeeding policy that is routinely communicated to all health care staff.
2. Train all health care staff in skills necessary to implement this policy.
3. Inform all pregnant women about the benefits and management of breastfeeding.
4. Help mothers initiate breastfeeding within half an hour of birth.
5. Show mothers how to breastfeed, and how to maintain lactation even if they should be separated from their infants.
6. Give newborn infants no food or drink other than breast milk, unless medically indicated.
7. Practise rooming-in — that is, allow mothers and infants to remain together — 24 hours a day. 8. Encourage breastfeeding on demand.
9. Give no artificial teats or pacifiers (also called dummies or soothers) to breastfeeding infants.
10. Foster the establishment of breastfeeding support groups and refer mothers to them on discharge from the hospital or clinic. Ensuring these 10 steps can prevent many of newborn's deaths. We should work hand in hand to ensure exclusive breastfeeding for every baby. ...............................................
The write up is Compiled by Dr Abu Sayeed Shimul, Registrar, Department of Paediatrics, Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Dhaka. E-mail: shimul.sayeed@yahoo.com
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