The importance of breast milk does not stop at counting
Gümüş said, “In our country, the ‘Breast Milk Promotion and Baby-Friendly Health Institutions’ program has been implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Health, UNICEF, since 1991. To reduce infant mortality, mothers are only allowed to feed their babies with breast milk during the first 6 months of life, and from the 6th month, mothers should give their babies supplementary food.It is necessary to support them to continue with breast milk until the age of 2 years and nutrients thereafter.
Importance of breast milk
breast milk; It is an ideal, unique and living natural food that cannot be replaced in infant nutrition. It contains all the energy and nutrients needed for healthy growth and development of the baby. It has a high bioavailability and is easily digestible. It provides many health, immune, developmental, psychological, social and economic benefits to the baby and mother, especially nutrition.
He summed up the benefits of silver breast milk for the baby as follows: “It supports the sensory and cognitive development of babies. It protects against infectious diseases such as diarrhoea, pneumonia, otitis media, urinary tract infection, etc. It reduces the risk of infant mortality. It protects against asthma, eczema and allergic diseases It reduces the risk of high blood pressure in children It reduces the risk of obesity in children, adolescents and adults It reduces the risk of type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease and stroke later in life .
Gümüş also shared the following information about the benefits of breastfeeding for the mother: “It helps the mother to recover quickly after birth. It reduces the risk of ovarian and breast cancer. It extends the period between pregnancies. It helps the mother to quickly returning to her pre-pregnancy body weight. It keeps it alive.”
Providing information on the protection, promotion and support of breast milk, Dr. Gümüş said: “From the beginning of pregnancy, all expectant mothers should be convinced, encouraged, motivated and informed that they can feed their babies with breast milk. Get help from friends. Understand by society that breastfeeding is a natural, easiest and healthy feeding method for the baby and providing suitable environments for nursing mothers in social areas such as shopping malls, restaurants and workplaces It is recommended that all health professionals, health professionals, non-governmental organizations, employers, family and friends make every effort to encourage breastfeeding. “