Breast milk is first vaccine' for baby, experts call for supporting working mothers

As many Indian mothers, especially working women, continue to give up on breastfeeding, experts on Wednesday called for strong family support to them to provide babies the requisite nutrition which can help lower infant mortality.

Breast milk is not just a perfect combination of nutrients but it is also a live tissue with many immune factors which gives a baby continuous and active protection against various infections.

'Women and Work Let's make it work' is the theme of this year's World Breastfeeding Week, celebrated from August 1 to 7. It emphasises on the need for better support systems and policies that encourage working mothers to breastfeed.

Around 830 million women around the world work outside their homes and majority of them have to return to work soon after giving birth owing to lack of supportive national policies and legislation, such as paid maternity leaves.

Even more women are working in the informal, seasonal or part-time economy that faces even greater barriers to breastfeed, Dr Archana Dhawan Bajaj, the Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, IVF and Fertility Expert, Nurture Clinic, said.

"Providing community support for these working mothers is the right thing to do for both babies and mothers as it increase the rate of breastfeeding which eventually will prevent infant death, childhood illness and non-communicable diseases. Breastfeeding is also the most sustainable way to feed an infant," Dr Bajaj said.

Dr Sacchee Baweja, a lactation consultant (IBCLC) at Centre For Child Health in BLK Super Speciality Hospital, said the initial milk or colostrum which is secreted during the initial two-three days is very rich in immune chemicals and is known as "the first vaccine" of the baby.

A very special quality of breast milk is that whenever a baby acquires any infection, his saliva coming in contact with mother's breast stimulates the breast into producing antibodies (protective chemicals) against that infection, Dr Baweja said.

Stressing on the need of breastfeeding within the 'golden hour' of birth, Dr Gayatri Despande, a consultant, Gynaechology and Obstetrics at Nanavati Super Speciality Hospital (NSSH), said the first milk of the mother, known as 'colostrum', provides the child with IgA antibodies which offer them lifelong protection from several infections.

The milk is also rich in Vitamin D, which is essential for the absorption of calcium and the prevention of rickets (skeletal disorder) in children.

"To understand the constraints, bottlenecks and hurdles in implementation of breastfeeding practices, we at NNSH has conducted an audit of our birthing unit'.

The audit report findings suggested need of counselling and training for expectant mothers during antenatal period. We helped the mothers prepare physically and mentally to breastfeed their babies, Dr Ashwini Jogade, the medical superintendent at NSSH, said.

According to experts, family, community and the government need to pay serious attention on providing support to working women, especially those who work in informal and unorganised sectors.

In view of huge benefits for both infants and mothers, the World Health Organisation (WHO) also recommends exclusive breastfeeding for first six months and the continued breastfeeding for at least two years for all infants.