SHILLONG:
District Medical Health Officer (DMHO) East Khasi Hills Dr Adreena Lyngdoh has stressed on the first-hour initiation of breastfeeding.
She was speaking at a programme where a breastfeeding kiosk was installed at Bethany Hospital, Nongrim Hills by the Inner Wheel Club of Shillong on August 19.
Speaking as chief guest, Lyngdoh said that breastfeeding is done in a respectable manner.
She said that setting up a kiosk has eliminated one of the barriers of achieving exclusive breastfeeding.
Lyngdoh stressed on the first-hour initiation of breastfeeding and said that in East Khasi Hills, though the institutional deliveries are 79 per cent but the initiation of breastfeeding in the first hour is only 42 per cent.
“This means there is a gap somewhere in our public health institutes where our health providers should work vigorously,” she said, adding that initiation of breastfeeding in the first hour should be encouraged so that the baby gets the maximum benefits.
Lyngdoh spoke about the initiatives taken by the government of Meghalaya like the Rescue Mission which aims to reduce maternal deaths and infant mortality.
She said that the other objective of the mission is to increase the life expectancy which, in Meghalaya, stands at 62.3 years.
She said that breastfeeding plays an important role in reducing neo-natal deaths which is very high in the East Khasi Hills district.
Consultant paediatrician Bethany Hospital Uma Ghosh highlighted the importance of breastfeeding which is beneficial to both mother and child wherein the chances of viral and respiratory disease come down by 33 per cent.
She said that the chances of mothers getting breast cancer and ovarian cancer are very less if the mother is breastfeeding.