Article Type:  Editorial

Essential and Need of Exclusive Breastfeeding Practices in New Born Children

Year: 2023; Volume: 3; Issue: 3; Page No: 3 – 4

Author:   Sumathi Senthilvel

Affiliation:  Associate Editor, International Journal of Medical Sciences and Nursing Research, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India and Formerly Assistant Professor in Nursing, Amrita College of Nursing, Kochi, Kerala, India.

Email ID:  Editor-in-chief@ijmsnr.com

  https://doi.org/10.55349/ijmsnr.20233334

How to cite this article: Sumathi S.  Essential and Need of Exclusive Breastfeeding Practices in New Born Children.  Int J Med Sci and Nurs Res 2023;3(3):3–4.

Article Summary:  Submitted:  05-August-2023; Revised:  28-August-2023; Accepted:  15-September-2023; Published:  30-September-2023

Full Text

Introduction

Exclusive Breastfeeding (EBF) means that to feed only breast milk to the new born babies during the first 6 months period. [1] EBF is an essential practice for newborn and infants’ health.  BF has some benefits to infants, mothers, family and the society.  So many other benefits in BF to infants such as decreased morbidity and mortality from infections like respiratory and gastrointestinal and also decrease in risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). [2] That’s why, EBF practices important to the health and well-being of infants because breast milk provides necessary nutrients in an essential quantity to the infants and to digest quickly to protect the infants from several types of diseases. [3–4] EBS practiced children have a less rate of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission from their mothers. [5]

Immediately after the birth of the baby decreased the risk of postpartum haemorrhage, delayed onset of menses by decreased incidence of iron deficiency and in between the child spacing.  Long-term health by decreased risk of breast, ovarian, and uterine cancer and decreased risk of central obesity and metabolic syndrome.  In this article, I have to discuss about exclusive breastfeeding, its ten steps, WHO recommendations in the initiation of BF in mothers and various positionings.

Follow the following ten steps to successful breastfeeding [6] 

  1. Written breastfeeding policy
  2. Staff trained to implement the policy
  3. All pregnant women informed about the benefits and management of breastfeeding
  4. Help to the mother’s initiate BF within 30 minutes after the birth of the child
  5. Show mothers how to breastfeed? and how to maintain the lactation when separated?
  6. Give newborns no food or drink besides breastmilk unless medically indicated
  7. Practice rooming in
  8. Encourage BF on demand
  9. Give no pacifiers or artificial nipples to BF infants
  10. Foster breastfeeding support groups and refer mothers to them on discharge. 

World Health Organization recommendations in the initiation of breast feed in mothers 

a).  WHO recommends that mothers initiate breastfeeding within one hour of birth.

b). Babies should be placed in skin-to-skin contact with their respective mothers immediately following birth for at least an hour and mothers should be encouraged to recognize when their babies are ready to breastfeed, offering help if needed.

c).  Continue to breastfeed every 1 – 3 hours and on demand by their babies.

Various Types of Breastfeeding positionings to a new born baby

World breastfeeding week is celebrated every year from 1 to 7 of the month August to encourage.  BF is improving the health of the babies around the world.  It commemorates the innocent declaration signed in August 1990 by the government policymakers, WHO, UNICEF and other organizations to protect, promote a support breastfeeding. [7]

BF is the best way to provide infants with the nutrients they need.  WHO recommends EBF starting within one hour after the birth until a baby in 6 months old.  Nutritious complementary foods should then be added while continuing to BF for up to 2 years or beyond. As per the UNICEF data reported in the year 2013 – 14 that the EBF (6 months) percentage was 65% in India.  UNICEF 2016 [8] and UNICEF 2018a [9] EBF rate in South Asia increased by only five percentage points between 2000 and 2016, from 47% to 52%.

Slogan in the year 2023 by WHO “Let’s make breastfeeding and work, work!” [10]

Conclusion

I have concluded that the exclusive breastfeeding practice in the new born baby is an essential one.  It will protect the new born babies from various infections and diseases.  So, the mothers are practicing EBF for their new born children.  EBF awareness program is to be conducted to the new pregnant mothers. Further studies needed related to EBF in rural and urban areas separately.

References:

  1. Alebel A, Tesma C, Temesgen B, Ferede A, Kibret GD.  Exclusive breastfeeding practice in Ethiopia and its association with antenatal care and institutional delivery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.  Int Breastfeed J 2018;13:31.  PMID: 30026786  DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13006-018-0173-x
  2. Dieterich CM, Felice JP, O’Sullivan E, Rasmussen KM.  Breastfeeding and Health Outcomes for the Mother-Infant Dyad.  Pediatr Clin North Am 2013;60(1):31-48. PMID: 23178059
  3. Nkoka O, Ntenda PAM, Kanje V, Milanzi EB, Arora A.  Determinants of timely initiation of breast milk and exclusive breastfeeding in Malawi: a population-based cross sectional study.  Int Breastfeed J 2019;14:37.  PMID: 31428184  DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13006-019-0232-y
  4. Office of the Surgeon General (US); Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US); Office on Women’s Health (US).  The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding   Rockville (MD): Office of the Surgeon General (US); 2011.  PMID: 21452448
  5. Duijts L, Jaddoe VW, Hofman A, Moll HA.  Prolonged and excusive breastfeeding reduces the risk of infectious diseases in infancy.  Pediatrics 2010;126:e18-25.  DOI: https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2008-3256
  6. World Health Organization:  Nutrition and Food Safety – Ten Steps to successful breastfeeding. Available from: https://www.who.int/teams/nutrition-and-food-safety/food-and-nutrition-actions-in-health-systems/ten-steps-to-successful-breastfeeding  [Last Accessed on: 23rd July 2023]
  7. World Health Organization.  e-Library of Evidence for Nutrition Actions (eLENA): Early initiation of breastfeeding to promote exclusive breastfeeding.  Available from:  https://www.who.int/tools/elena/interventions/early-breastfeeding#:~:text=WHO%20Recommendations,the%20first%20hour%20after%20delivery  [Last Accessed on: 29th July 2023]
  8. Global UNICEF Databases: Infant and Young Child Feeding.  New York: 2018a
  9. World Health Organization, UNICEF, and IBFAN (International Baby Food Action Network). 2016. Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes: National Implementation of the International Code. Status Report 2016. Geneva: World Health Organization.
  10. World Health Organization: World Breastfeeding Week 2023. Available from:  https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-breastfeeding-week/2023  [Last Accessed on: 2nd August 2023]

This is an open access journal, and articles are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution‑Non-Commercial‑ShareAlike 4.0 International License, which allows others to remix, tweak, and build upon the work non‑commercially, as long as appropriate credit is given, and the new creations are licensed under the identical terms.

Full-Text PDF