LUMHS Organizes Seminar In Connection With World Breast Feeding Week

The Department of Peadiatrics Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences Jamshoro organized a seminar here at Liaquat University Hospital on Wednesday in order to mark the "World Breast Feeding Week" which falls between August 1 to 7 every year

HYDERABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th Aug, 2019 ) :The Department of Peadiatrics Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences Jamshoro organized a seminar here at Liaquat University Hospital on Wednesday in order to mark the "World Breast Feeding Week" which falls between August 1 to 7 every year.

The Vice Chancellor LUMHS Prof. Bikha Ram Devrajani who presided over the seminar said that breast milk provides an ideal nutrition for infants. It has a nearly perfect mix of vitamins, protein, and fat, everything a baby needs to grow and it's all provided in a form more easily digested than infant formula milks, he added.

He said breast milk contains antibodies that help a baby fight off viruses and bacteria. Breastfeeding lowers baby's risk of having asthma or allergies, he said and added, babies who are breastfed exclusively for at least the first six months, without any other milk formula, have fewer ear infections, respiratory illnesses, and bouts of diarrhea. They also have fewer hospitalizations and trips to the doctor.

Professor of Pediatrics LUMHS Salma Shaikh informed that the first 1000 days of a baby's life, from the first day of pregnancy up to two years of life, represent a critical period of growth and development and gives the parents an opportunity to provide an environment that will help support baby's lifelong health.

This includes the nutrition a baby receives during this period which can have a resounding impact. The most complete form of nutrition for infants, breast milk, offers a range of benefits for health, growth, immunity, and development, she said and informed that World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding exclusively for at least six months and even up to two years and beyond, because of the long lasting benefits of breastfeeding for both mother and her baby. Many studies, whether focusing on the properties of the mother's milk itself or its effects on babies short and long term health, confirm the significance of these recommendations, she added.

The Director General Health Services Sindh Dr. Masood Ahmad Solangi and Medical Superintendent Liaquat University Hospital Hyderabad/Jamshoro Dr. Mubeen Ahmad Memon also expressed their views on the benefits of breast feeding.