Nourshing Society: Breast Milk

By Aniruddh Jahagirdar

The perfect nourishment for a baby is breast milk as it contains bunches of antibodies that safeguards the child from various diseases such as cancer, diabetes, asthma, allergies and so forth. Some studies suggest decreased rates of sudden infant death syndrome in the first year of their life. Likewise, it plays a significant part in mental turn of events and higher knowledge. It’s helpful for the child, yet in addition for the mother in numerous ways. It reduces the risk of breast and ovarian cancer, helps in weight loss and many more. Here we can't deny the fact that apart from all health advantages, it promotes bonding and a close relationship between mother and her baby. “Breastfeeding gives babies the best possible start in life,” says the Director General of WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

In spite of its significance being known to many, the statistics reveals that no country in the world fully meets the recommended breastfeeding standards. Around 8 lakh twenty thousand baby's lives could be saved every year if all children of the age 2 were optimally fed by breast milk. Globally, only 40% of babies under six months of age are exclusively breastfed. Nearly 66% of babies are not exclusively breastfed for the recommended 6 months, which has not improved from 2 decades. Nearly one lakh children die every year in India due to diseases that could have been prevented through breastfeeding, according to a United Nations report.

There's nothing wrong about a mother nourishing her child, in home or any public place. It is the natural way of providing the nutritive values for the baby. But rather than thinking like that, it is viewed as the sexual items. Many people don't like seeing the mother feeding her baby. They feel uncomfortable. If they stop this stupid shit, then it would have become so normal that none of the women hesitated or feared to feed her baby in public.

While writing this blog, I came across a blogger who shared her thoughts on the same topic. "If I’m in public, I personally prefer to use a nursing cover, both for my own comfort and out of consideration for those around me. However, even if some cleavage (or - gasp! - a nipple!) is exposed, it only becomes a big deal if the people around the mother make it a big deal."

Let us move towards the point of Human Milk Banks. Assuming that the mother can't create milk or inclines toward not do start lactation, then, at that point, Donor breast milk (DBM) can be an option to maternal breast milk. Reports say that its undeniably better than formula feeding. Human milk banks in developing nations have a pivotal role during these unpropitious circumstances to facilitate the use of breast milk and ensure provision of donor milk as gap support to the most vulnerable preterm infants (< 1500 g and < 32 weeks gestation) if mother’s own milk is not available. The core belief of human milk banking across the globe is to promote and strengthen breastfeeding.

At last, I want to conclude that the promotion of Human milk banks, educating people about its importance, strengthening every mother not to hesitate to breastfeed in public all these things are absolutely necessary today. We need to think over these kinds of issues very seriously. The more these kinds of issues are brought up into picture, the more people think over the problem, and ultimately solve the issue completely.

By Aniruddh Jahagirdar