Core Information to ensure proper dietary intake and good state of nutrition in children. The theme focuses attention on health and nutrition needs of women before and during pregnancy, healthy birth outcomes and links it to successful breastfeeding, some times also called "fourth stage of labour". Less stressful birthing experience naturally leads to the birth of an active and alert baby. This is crucial to succeed in early start of breastfeeding and ensure healthy development of babies for the future of societies and economic development. The under weight girl child grows into a malnourished adolescent girl who is likely to be a malnourished mother. The malnourished mother gives birth to a under weight child and the vicious cycle goes on. To ensure that children are born normal, we must break this cycle at all levels. CARE during adolescence It should include:
CARE during pregnancy It should include:
CARE during delivery and birth It should include:
CARE immediately after the delivery It should include:
To ensure proper infant and young child feeding following core information It is recommended that exclusive breastfeeding should continue for first six months and thereafter complementary food along with continued frequent breastfeeding. Women should be supported in their decision to do so. Following Q & A on this topic would help each and every one to know accurately about exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding of infants and young children.
Q. What is exclusive breastfeeding and how long it should be practiced? Ans. Exclusive breastfeeding means when a baby receives only breastmilk and no other food or drink, not even water, allowing drops, syrups (vitamins, minerals, medicines), and is fed frequently and unrestrictedly. WHO, UNICEF and all other experts on infant feeding recommend that exclusive breastfeeding should continue for first 6 months. Q. Why we should not give water to babies being exclusively breastfed? Ans. Infants exclusively breastfed for first six months grow well and need nothing else. If water is also given along with breastfeeding it leads to less desire for the baby to suckle and thereby decline in the production of breastmilk and that is also likely to be contaminated. Q. When should breastfeeding be started? Ans. As soon as possible after the baby is born, within half an hour of birth. Babies should be breastfed as often and when they show interest. No other feed should be given before initiating breastfeeding, as it is likely to delay breastfeeding and the newborn baby is more likely to be sick. Q. Why start breastfeeding so early? Ans. Because newborn is often wide awake and alert at birth, and if put to the breast sucks very vigorously during first 30 to 60 minutes. Colostrum, the first yellowish secretion from the breast is ideal for the baby. It contains substances which protect the baby from infection from germs and is like a vaccine. An early start promotes emotional bonding with mother and the baby becomes emotionally strong when she/he grows up. Q. How mother's milk can be increased? Ans. Mother's milk is available to the babies on ‘demand and supply principle’, and is produced depending upon how much a baby needs. It depends on how frequently and how much the baby suckles on the breast. When mothers feel that their babies are not getting enough milk and they want to increase their own milk supply, it is very helpful to offer breastfeeding more frequently. More suckling will produce more milk in a few days. Q. What is `continued breastfeeding' and how long it should be given? Ans. After six months of age, the child should be given complementary food along with continued frequent breastfeeding upto the age of two years and beyond. Q. When should babies be given complementary food (additional food)? Ans. After 6 months of age along with frequent breastfeeding. Family food should be started after 6 months and gradually increased to 4-5 times in a day. Q. Why complementary food should not be given early or late? Ans. If additional food is started early, it is dangerous, as the risk of baby getting diarrhoea (loose-motions) is nearly 3 to 13 times more because complementary food may not be as clean as breastmilk. Early start also makes the child to take less breastmilk. Thus, it becomes difficult to meet the nutritional needs of the child. Starting late is also dangerous because a child does not get extra food needed to fill the energy and nutrition gap, child may grow slow and the risk of malnutrition increases. Q. What should be the type of complementary foods (additional foods)? Ans. Foods given to the baby should not be thin and watery but should be like a gruel/kheer of higher nutritional value. Food prepared at home is the best and ideally suited to baby's needs. Cereals with added oil, pulses, lentils, cereals with added milk and mashed vegetables for the vegetarian family and meat, eggs and fish for the non-vegetarian family make good combination of foods. It is important to give enough food i.e., infants of 6-9 months need 2 Katories of food a day and from 9-12 months they need 2 ˝ Katories of food a day. Q. How complementary food should be given? Ans. Giving family food helps adapting to family practices. Babies should be allowed to make attempt to feed themselves near the end of the first year, but they will still need help and encouragement in eating through the 2nd year. Babies are allowed to eat themselves to help develop coordination and physical development and parents /caregivers should interact with them to tell new concepts and words while feeding, as this helps in the better mental development of the child. Q. What if a mother works outside home? Ans. Mothers working outside home can continue these optimum infant and young child feeding practices if fully supported by the family and community. Adequate maternity leave, facilities for breastfeeding breaks for feeding and expressing milk, and nearby childcare (creche) facilities are helpful. Mothers can combine work with breastfeeding by expressing breastmilk whenever child is not with her or breastfeeding frequently when baby is with her. When they join work after leave, they should continue to breastfeed, before leaving for work and when they are back at home and at night.
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