Breast feeding awareness programme
Women at the breast feeding awareness programme organised by the Field Publicity Office in association with the Government Polytechnic College at Chinniyampalayam in Coimbatore on Wednesday.More than 60 women from the villages in and around Coimbatore participated in an awareness programme on breast feeding held in connection with the International Breast Feeding Week celebrations at Chinniyampalayam on Wednesday. According to a release, organised by the Field Publicity Office in association with the Community Polytechnic scheme of the Government Polytechnic College, Coimbatore, the programme dwelt on the health and nutrition of newborn babies and the mothers.A. Jayasudha, Head of the Department of Maternity Nursing, PSG College of Nursing, said that many young mothers were not aware of the importance of breast feeding. She gave a detailed presentation on the nutritional aspects of mother’s milk and its role in laying a foundation for the health of the baby.She pointed out that the practice of not giving mother’s milk to the child within an hour of birth was prevalent, mainly because of ignorance. Some believed that breast feeding the child immediately after birth should be avoided, as the mother would be exhausted after the delivery, she observed.
Ms. Jayasudha pointed out that this was wrong and that feeding babies with mother’s milk within an hour of birth could prevent at least a million infant deaths annually.The women who gathered at the camp also got their queries regarding breast feeding cleared from her. The older women who attended the programme narrated their experiences of raising children when instant baby-foods were not available in the market.K. Parameswaran, Field Publicity Officer, said that programmes highlighting the importance of breast feeding should be conducted frequently by maternity hospitals and nursing homes so that young mothers would take special care of feeding their children.Contests were also held after the interactive session and prizes were distributed to the participants.
