Awareness programme on breastfeeding held
The participants raised slogans on the importance of breastfeeding. Addressing the gathering, I. Vani, superintendent of King George Hospital (KGH), said feeding the baby with colostrum (first milk) within one hour after the birth of the baby would increase immunity. It would help in protecting the child from diseases like pneumonia and diarrhoea.
ICDS project director K.V. Ramalakshmi said the colostrum would be rich in antibodies, protein and other nutrients and protect the baby from diseases. CPDOs K. Neelima, D. Neelaveni, M. Sridevi, Jhansi Rani, Santoshi and Sri Latha and sector supervisors participated in the programme.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
4 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Prioritising breastfeeding in rural India
In India's villages, breastfeeding is widely practised. But sustaining it exclusively for six months, as recommended by the WHO, remains a challenge for many new mothers. Despite high initiation rates, a combination of social pressures, myths and misinformation, food insecurity, physical strain, and lack of support often leads to early cessation. This gap isn't due to unwillingness. It's the result of an ecosystem that doesn't adequately support women through the most crucial stages of infant care. Breastfeeding (Shutterstock) This year's World Breastfeeding Week theme Prioritise Breastfeeding: Create Sustainable Support Systems underscores a reality that is especially urgent in rural India. While most mothers begin breastfeeding, many are told within weeks that their milk isn't enough, or they're pushed toward formula feeding. Others return to agricultural or household work soon after delivery, without the rest, nutrition, or community help required to continue breastfeeding. The consequences are serious. Malnutrition remains a persistent and widespread problem in rural India. According to UNICEF, 60% of under-five child deaths are linked directly or indirectly to malnutrition, and two-thirds of these are tied to inappropriate feeding practices during the first year of life. Poor breastfeeding and complementary feeding not only affect child survival, but also impair long-term cognitive development and economic productivity. This makes exclusive breastfeeding one of the most accessible, low-cost interventions to tackle childhood malnutrition. But for it to succeed, mothers need more than just awareness. They need systems that offer hands-on support. That's where frontline health workers like ASHAs, ANMs, and village-based sakhis can play a transformative role. Trained community health workers are often the only link between mothers and the health care system. They can offer culturally sensitive counselling and guidance on breastfeeding techniques, support mothers through challenges like latching or low milk supply, and help dispel dangerous myths. Equally important, they can bring husbands, mothers-in-law, and extended families into the conversation ensuring a woman isn't alone in the effort to nourish her child. Incorporating breastfeeding promotion into antenatal (ANC) and postnatal care (PNC) services is key. Targeted education for young couples on maternal nutrition, early initiation of breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding, and complementary feeding practices can help new parents make informed choices. Practical guidance on expressing milk, spoon feeding (vati), nipple care, and avoiding the bottle use gives mothers the tools they need to overcome early hurdles. Further, linking families to maternal benefit schemes which incentivise childbirth milestones and child nutrition can help offset income loss and support healthy practices. Home visits allow workers to track infant growth, manage diarrhoea cases, and offer care advice to secondary caregivers as well. Government efforts like the MAA (Mother's Absolute Affection) program provide a national framework for breastfeeding promotion but they must be localised and expanded. Grassroots outreach can make MAA truly impactful by ensuring every rural mother receives relevant, timely support. Breastfeeding is one of the simplest, most effective ways to give children a healthy start. But its success hinges on how well we support the mother. In rural India, creating sustainable, community-based systems is not just important, it's essential to breaking the cycle of malnutrition and helping future generations thrive. Let's make breastfeeding a shared responsibility, not just a maternal one. This article is authored by Chandrakant Kumbhani, COO, community development, Ambuja Foundation.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
6 hours ago
- Business Standard
Over 40 mn women get maternity aid under PMMVY; drive till Aug 15: WCD
Over 4 crore women across India have received at least one installment of maternity benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), with total disbursements crossing ₹19,028 crore, the Ministry of Women and Child Development said on Monday. The ministry, in a statement , called it a reflection of the government's "sustained commitment to maternal and child health" as it announced the extension of a special registration drive under the scheme till August 15. The ongoing door-to-door campaign, led by Anganwadi and ASHA workers, aims to ensure that all eligible pregnant and lactating women are enrolled on time. "The campaign is not only about ensuring access to financial benefits but also about encouraging positive attitudes towards the girl child," the ministry said in its statement. PMMVY, a centrally sponsored scheme under Mission Shakti's 'Samarthya' sub-scheme, provides partial wage compensation to mothers through direct benefit transfer (DBT). For the first child, a cash incentive of ₹5,000 is given in two installments, while for the second girl child, ₹6,000 is paid in a single installment after birth. To enhance efficiency and transparency, the scheme has been integrated with PMMVYSoft which is a digital platform launched in March 2023. This software uses Aadhaar-based authentication and NPCI verification to ensure that funds are directly transferred to the beneficiaries' Aadhaar-linked bank or post office accounts. The revamped portal also features an Integrated Grievance Module, a multilingual toll-free helpline (14408), Aadhaar-based biometric authentication using Facial Recognition System (FRS), and an automated due-list to identify and reach out to potential beneficiaries, the statement said. The ministry said the scheme's success lies in the coordinated efforts of field-level workers and state officials, adding that it remains committed to improving maternal nutrition, health-seeking behaviour, and gender equity through PMMVY. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hans India
6 hours ago
- Hans India
Over 4 crore women benefited under PMMVY; registration drive extended till Aug 15: WCD
Over 4 crore women across India have received at least one installment of maternity benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), with total disbursements crossing Rs 19,028 crore, the Ministry of Women and Child Development said on Monday. The ministry, in a statement , called it a reflection of the government's "sustained commitment to maternal and child health" as it announced the extension of a special registration drive under the scheme till August 15. The ongoing door-to-door campaign, led by Anganwadi and ASHA workers, aims to ensure that all eligible pregnant and lactating women are enrolled on time. "The campaign is not only about ensuring access to financial benefits but also about encouraging positive attitudes towards the girl child," the ministry said in its statement. PMMVY, a centrally sponsored scheme under Mission Shakti's 'Samarthya' sub-scheme, provides partial wage compensation to mothers through direct benefit transfer (DBT). For the first child, a cash incentive of Rs 5,000 is given in two installments, while for the second girl child, Rs 6,000 is paid in a single installment after birth. To enhance efficiency and transparency, the scheme has been integrated with PMMVYSoft which is a digital platform launched in March 2023. This software uses Aadhaar-based authentication and NPCI verification to ensure that funds are directly transferred to the beneficiaries' Aadhaar-linked bank or post office accounts. The revamped portal also features an Integrated Grievance Module, a multilingual toll-free helpline (14408), Aadhaar-based biometric authentication using Facial Recognition System (FRS), and an automated due-list to identify and reach out to potential beneficiaries, the statement said. The ministry said the scheme's success lies in the coordinated efforts of field-level workers and state officials, adding that it remains committed to improving maternal nutrition, health-seeking behaviour, and gender equity through PMMVY.
