DAVANAGERE: By breast-feeding infants upto six months, 20 per cent of infant mortality rate can be brought down in the country, opined Lakshmi Bhavani, planning officer, UNICEF, Hyderabad here on Thursday.

She was the chief guest of the one-day workshop on ‘Breast milk and food in child preservation and growth’ arranged by the Woman and Child Development Department, Health and Family Welfare, UNICEF, BPNI, IAP, NNF, NIPCCD, IMA, BCHI, IGICH, for anganawadi workers, health officers and CDPOs of Bellary, Chitradurga, Haveri, Davanagere and Shimoga districts.

Bhavani said at present, the infant mortality rate in India was 60 per cent and this can be brought down further by bringing about awareness among mothers on the importance of breast-feeding.

There were many misconceptions about breast-feeding. About 36 per cent of children were deprived of breast milk, Bhavani pointed out.

Health and anganwadi workers should play an important role in spreading awareness on HIV infections and its impact on children in rural areas, as the number of HIV patients was on the rise in our State, Bhavani said.

Getting the tag of baby-friendly hospital should be the motto among hospital managements, Bhavani said. It was a matter of concern that the immunisation percentage which was 60 last year had come down to 55 per cent. As it may cause rise in infant mortality rate, it should be checked, said Monnappa, director of women and child development department.

At the gram panchayat level, the integrated child protection scheme will be introduced along with ICDS programme from next year, he added. Breast-feeding for longer period will prevent many diseases, said Deputy Commissioner Dyberi who inaugurated the programme.

Planning director Dr Devamani, BCHI director Dr Nirmala Kesaree, Dr Bhanapurmutt and others spoke on the occasion.

At present, the infant mortality rate in India is 60 per cent.