Breastfeeding declines by 10pc

There is no alternative to breastfeeding for a child’s intellectual and physical development, prevention of malnutrition and development of the immune system. There are rules for exclusive breastfeeding for children under 6 months, yet breastfeeding declined significantly in the country.

According to the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) 2022, breastfeeding declined by 10 per cent to a similar situation that was a decade ago in the country.

Besides, amid the surge in dengue across the country, lactating mothers suffering from the mosquito-borne disease worry whether they can breastfeed their babies. However, physicians said there is no complication in breastfeeding in that case.

According to the BDHS 2022, exclusive breastfeeding among children age 0–5 months decreased from 65 per cent in 2017–18 to 55 per cent in 2022. A similar decline was observed between 2011 and 2014. Breastfeeding was 55 per cent in 2011, 54 per cent in 2011, 43 per cent in 2007 and 42 per cent in 2004.

As the World Breastfeeding Week began amid such situation on Tuesday, nutritionists stressed raising awareness to increase on breastfeeding rate, as well creating a friendly environment for working mothers.

The World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated on 1-7 August every year. Bangladesh has been celebrating it since 1992 and the health and family welfare ministry has been observing the day nationally since 2020. This year’s theme is ‘Enabling breastfeeding: making a difference for working parents.’

Regarding the decline in breastfeeding, National Nutrition Service deputy programme manager Supta Chowdhury told Prothom Alo the survey was conducted during the coronavirus pandemic. The rate of breastfeeding apparently declined because of less awareness activities at field level. Besides, the number of working mother is on the rise. As breastfeeding corners and childcare centres are not available everywhere, as well as a friendly environment does always not exist at home, and many mothers cannot breastfeed their babies for six straight months, she added.

Farhana Yesmin, who works at a private firm, has a 6-month-old girl and she breastfed her baby for six months. She said when she resumed her office she started storing breast milk in the refrigerator. Since breast milk cannot be heated on a stive or in an over, the bottle of breast milk is kept inside a bowel filled with warm water, and the family members fed her baby that milk.

She, however, does not know a lactating mothers suffering from dengue disease can breastfeed her baby and she thinks more awareness campaign should be run on it.

Farhana Haque is also a working mother. She told Prothom Alo she has to go outside because of her job leaving her seven-month-old girl at home. In addition to breastfeeding, Farhana Haque feeds her baby infant formula, but she regrets it since she knows the benefits of breastfeeding.

She, however, worries about the dengue situation, Farhana Haque said, “More campaigns should be launched during dengue period.”

Directorate General of Health Services director (disease control) Md Nazmul Hasan told Prothom Alo if the health of lactating mother suffering from dengue remains well enough, she can breastfeed her baby. If the mother becomes severely ill, she will not be in a condition to breastfeed her baby or if the mother needs such medicine that may spreaed to her baby, the she must not breastfeed her baby.

Advising the pregnant women to be cautious, Nazmul Hasan said they should go to physicians once the symptoms of fever appear. If pregnant women suffer from dengue, maximum cautious must be followed because the heath condition starts deteriorating three or four days after the fever goes away; risk of death is also high during this time, and not a single medicine must be consumed without the prescription of physicians.

Saying that initiative has been taken to run campaign on lactating mothers suffering from dengue can feed their babies, professor Nazmul Islam said the National Nutrition Service is looking after the matter

Besides, the DGHS hold meeting with UNICEF and World Health Organization, as well as various organisations and eminent personalities, and the DGHS will prepares common communication martial that each agency will publicise it at their own, he added.

This report appeared in the print and online edition of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten in English by Hasanul Banna