There are various misgivings and misconceptions attached to malnutrition and its creates a kind of obstructions between mother and child.
Such misgivings in the society need to be sorted out by creating a condusive climate, said Dr Sandhya Vyas, joint director, Integrated Child Development Services while addressing a media worksholp on ‘Breast feeding: Key to sustainable development.Speaking in the workshop, Deepika Sharma from UNICEF Bhopal while laying stress on the breast feeding week to be organised all-over the State from August 1 to 7, said breast feeding is one key of the factor to eradicate malnutrition from the country. She elaborated on importance of breast feeding of the new born child within an hour of birth and importance of breast feeding of the child from one month to five months and from six month to eighth month.
While showing statistics, she said the state has faired good on breast feeding paramters and said that it was only through breast feeding that we can achieve sustainable development as it strengthens the foundation of economic, social and physical development.
She said absence of breast feeding makes child suspectible to various contagious diseases and brings about deterioration in their health and economic level later on in their life.
Joint director, health services, Indore division said that due to lack of breast feeding among child, as many as 40 children out of 1,000 die within an year of their birth. He said breast feeding can go a long way in reducing child as well as mother's mortality rate. Keeping this in mind, the breat feeding awareness camaign in the society has assumed significance, he added.