Doctors emphasize breastfeeding as the child's first line of defence
Nandini said that breastfeeding impacts the infant mortality rate of a country. "The first 1,000 days of the child can be split into three parts: 300 days of pregnancy and close to two years after childbirth. This is a crucial time for the child to receive nutrition," she said.
According to the National Guidelines on Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF), infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life to achieve optimal growth, development, and health.
However, there are many myths in society, and hence we ensure to raise awareness during this week every year, she added.
"During the first six months of the child, only breastmilk must be given. Anything else, even water, must not be given to the child. This is because breastmilk contains 60% water," she added. Breastmilk can be given to the child until the age of two, she said.
The World Health Organisation says that 45% of deaths of children below the age of five are linked to malnutrition. Many deadly respiratory and diarrhoeal diseases can be prevented by breastfeeding, she said.
On Saturday, awareness was given to 200 antenatal mothers in GRH, said Dr J Senthil Kumar, secretary, IAP Madurai. In the coming days, a series of awareness programmes have been organised, he added.
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