Breastfeeding has an important role to play in making food security a reality for over 20 million babies born every year. It provides total food security for infants. There is no other readily available, affordable and nutritious food source than breastmilk. It is a complete and natural food for infants for first six months of age. Exclusive breastfeeding is all that a baby needs for first six months and complementary foods are added thereafter. Breastfeeding, along with other foods, continues to provide the growing child with essential nutrients and energy, it helps to prevent malnutrition in the second year of life and beyond. Breastmilk is the first food for babies, but breastfeeding also benefits women, families and communities. Breastfeeding helps control births, fertility, reduces post-partum bleeding and thus anemia in women, and reduces infant morbidity and mortality. Since breastfed babies have higher IQs, all communities benefit. Healthier mothers and children means lower health care costs for the community.
Breastfeeding helps solve hunger problems Breastfeeding empowers women. Mothers can feel reassured that they are providing the best for their children. They feel secure in the knowledge that they are providing the best that food mothers and nature have to offer to babies. Breastfeeding helps in solving the problem of hunger. In most communities, there are households and individuals who do not have enough to eat and experience hunger on a regular basis. Breastfeeding is an important insurance when families face food shortages in an emergency. Babies in poor households receive breastmilk; they are thus eating the most affordable, nutritious and accessible food in town! Moreover, if food assistance is provided to help feed hungry families and we have to distribute occasional free tins of infant formula, that helps perpetuate poverty and infant malnutrition. Mothers receive one tin; lose confidence in themselves, and their own milk supply. As mothers tend to supplement with other infant formulae, breastmilk production may decline.
Continued breastfeeding, even after the first 6 month, alongwith complementary foods: After six months of age most babies need foods to complement breastmilk. Babies and growing children don’t need expensive processed baby foods. A combination of breastfeeding and family food can provide all the nutrients that children need. This will also be affordable. Two years and beyond ... The benefits of breastmilk continue after the addition of family foods. Breastmilk is a source of complete protein that complements cereals and other foods. Micronutritonal benefits of breastfeeding give children hope for a healthy future Breastfeeding plays a major role in correcting life-threatening deficiencies. Iron Deficiencies According to the NFHS-22 , the most common nutritional problem in India is anemia, which is mostly iron deficiency and it affects more than half of women of reproductive age, and 70% infants and young children. Anemia results in premature delivery of babies, low birth weight and low iron reserves resulting in sick mothers and sick babies. Although human milk has only a small amount (0.5-1mg/L) of iron, breastfed babies are rarely iron deficient because the iron in breastmilk is the best absorbed out of all forms of iron. The iron in any other milks/tinned infant formula is not so well absorbed by babies. Early introduction and composition of complementary foods impairs the efficiency of iron absorption from breastmilk. Even anemic mothers produce breastmilk, which provides sufficient iron for their babies. However iron may need to be given to breastfed children after a certain age. Vitamin A Breastmilk is the best source of vitamin A for infants. Vitamin A deficiencies affect millions of children in India. Consequences of vitamin A deficiency include increasing seriousness of infections and associated deaths, growth retardation, iron-deficiency anemia and night blindness. Without breastmilk, newborns cannot maintain optimal vitamin A nutrition past a few weeks. Vitamin A deficiency is rare among breastfed infants. Even a malnourished mother’s breastmilk protects against vitamin A deficiency for the first six months of exclusive breastfeeding. However, vitamin A levels in breastmilk are influenced by mother’s diet and nutritional status. 2 National Family Health Survey (NFHS-2), MOHFW, Govt. of India, 1998-1999.
Breastmilk is the only food for millions of babies. In India, over 4000 million Litre of breastmilk are consumed annually - in the past this important food source had been ignored in the calculation of a nation’s food supply. Breastfeeding is an important part of country’s food security. We need to protect this resource and make an attempt to increase its availability. The Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India (BPNI) is a registered, non-profit, independent national organization with international collaboration and works towards protecting, promoting, and supporting breastfeeding (especially exclusive breastfeeding for 0-6 months) and appropriate complementary feeding of infants & young children. BPNI is a network of individuals and organizations and is the Regional Focal Point for South Asia for the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) & Regional Coordinating Center for International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN) South Asia. BPNI is registered under Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) and is notified NGO by the Government of India. BPNI does not accept funds or sponsorship of any kind from the companies producing infant milk substitutes, feeding bottles, related equipments, or infant foods (cereal foods).
This paper has been written and compiled by
Dr. Arun Gupta, National Coordinator, BPNI BPNI-2001/Document 4 (July) For
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