Breastfeeding is still the best

Breast milk offers many benefits to the baby. It contains the right balance of nutrients to help the infant grow into a strong and healthy toddler.

Some of the nutrients also help protect the infant against some common childhood illnesses and infections.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is recommending the colostrums, the yellow sticky breast milk produced at the end of the pregnancy, as the perfect food for the newborn. Feeding should be initiated within the first hour after birth. Breastfeeding is recommended up to six months of age.

However the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health is supporting and promoting breastfeeding amongst the mothers in the province.

The Department will also host an event, where acknowledgement will be given to health institutions by the international bodies, the UNICEF and Academy of Educational Development, for their Baby Friendly Hospital competence in Mkhambathini area in Embo Clinic on the 25 January 2008.

Leon Mbangwa, KZN Department of Health spokesperson said health professionals and field workers who have implemented and improved the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative through the years, and thus contributed to the saving of babies, will be acknowledged.

The province of KwaZulu-Natal has 44 Baby Friendly Hospitals.

MEC for Health in the province Neliswa Nkonyeni will also be awarding the hard working personnel, for their commitments at the Grey's Hospital on Friday.

Effects of not breastfeeding

The consequences of a decrease in breastfeeding has resulted in an increase in sickness and death of children around the world.

According to the WHO, the decline in breastfeeding was cause for concern and worldwide effort to protect, promote and support breastfeeding.

A 25-year-old HIV mother from Pinetown, who asked not to be identified, told BuaNews that she was very devastated when she was told she has this killer disease.

“I told myself that I won't be able to have a special bond with my son as other mothers who are breastfeeding have. The clinic referred me to St Mary's Hospital.”

“The hospital is Baby Friendly. They give me useful information on how to breastfeed, even if you are HIV. I then discussed the feeding choices with my HIV counselor. I've been breastfeeding exclusively for the past five months,” she said.

Another breastfeeding mother Ntandoyenkosi Masuku, 36, from Durban said the Baby Friendly Hospitals was one of the best ideas that government comes up with.

“These hospitals give us information about breastfeeding and also when we have to start feeding our infants the formula, and when we have to stop breastfeeding.”

“The staff from Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital taught me different things about breastfeeding and how to make more milk when you breast feeding,” said Masuku.

Launch of the BFHI

James P Grant, the Executive Director of UNICEF and Hiroshi Nakajima, Director General of WHO, launched the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) in 1991.

This initiative was created to transform Health Care policies by restoring breastfeeding as the natural and normal practice for nurturing babies.

BFHI is thus a strategy to encourage the implementation of the “Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding”. These steps were contained in a joint WHO and UNICEF statement in 1989, entitled: “Protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding the special role of Maternity Service”.

The South African Health Matters Committee adopted a slightly amended version of the Ten Steps in 1990. Although notification of this was officially circulated to hospitals and BFHI was launched in South Africa during March 1993.

WHO further stated on their website, that their aim together with UNICEF statement was to increase awareness of the critical role of health services in the promotion of breastfeeding and to give guidelines with appropriate information and support to mothers.

Hospitals to blame?

Hospital practices were also cited for resulting in a decline in breastfeeding. Such practices included mother and baby separation, rigid feeding regimes, administering pre-lacteal e.g. glucose water, uses of dummies, uses of analgesia or anesthetics.

Sister Thembeka Khumalo said their work is to inform all pregnant women about the benefits and management of breastfeeding.

“The staff is there to assist new mothers to initiate breastfeeding within a half-hour of birth,” she said.

“We also show mothers how to breastfeed. We make sure that they continue breastfeeding; by fostering the establishment of breastfeeding support groups and refer mothers to them on discharge from the hospital. There is nothing satisfying than helping a new mother to take care of her child,” said Khumalo.

The website also stated that the breastfeeding helps babies grow normally and protects them from getting sick. Other baby foods do not give protection and can cause illness if not made up and fed properly.

Article published courtesy of BuaNews