Doctors emphasize breastfeeding as the child's first line of defence
Nandini said that breastfeeding impacts the infant mortality rate of a country. "The first 1,000 days of the child can be split into three parts: 300 days of pregnancy and close to two years after childbirth. This is a crucial time for the child to receive nutrition," she said.
According to the National Guidelines on Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF), infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life to achieve optimal growth, development, and health.
However, there are many myths in society, and hence we ensure to raise awareness during this week every year, she added.
"During the first six months of the child, only breastmilk must be given. Anything else, even water, must not be given to the child. This is because breastmilk contains 60% water," she added. Breastmilk can be given to the child until the age of two, she said.
The World Health Organisation says that 45% of deaths of children below the age of five are linked to malnutrition. Many deadly respiratory and diarrhoeal diseases can be prevented by breastfeeding, she said.
On Saturday, awareness was given to 200 antenatal mothers in GRH, said Dr J Senthil Kumar, secretary, IAP Madurai. In the coming days, a series of awareness programmes have been organised, he added.
Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with
Friendship Day wishes
,
messages
and
quotes
!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
24 minutes ago
- Time of India
Alert from Meta helps UP cops save life of man who consumed poison
Lucknow: A young man's life was saved in Prayagraj on Friday night thanks to swift coordination between Meta and Uttar Pradesh Police. The 33-year-old, who works as a waiter at weddings, posted a distress message on Instagram stating, "I have consumed poison. " Within just 10 minutes of receiving an alert from Meta, police teams reached his house and rushed him to the hospital, ultimately saving his life. According to the official statement, on the night of Aug 2 at 10.59 pm, the Social Media Centre at the DGP Headquarters in Lucknow received an alert email from Meta—Instagram's parent company—regarding a potential suicide attempt by a user from the Puramufti police station area in Prayagraj. The alert contained a message indicating that the individual ingested poison. Taking immediate cognisance, Director General of Police (DGP) Uttar Pradesh, Rajeev Krishna, directed urgent intervention. Based on the phone number shared in the Meta alert, the social media team tracked the user's location and informed the Prayagraj district police. Acting swiftly, SHO of Puramufti police station, Manoj Kumar Singh, along with his team, reached the youth's home within 10 minutes. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Why Seniors Are Snapping Up This TV Box, We Explain! Techno Mag Learn More Undo by Taboola by Taboola After speaking with the family, they rushed to his room where they found him lying on his bed. Upon questioning, the man admitted to consuming rodent poison due to financial stress and depression. He was immediately transported to a hospital in the police vehicle along with his family. Doctors managed to stabilise the youth's condition. Upon regaining consciousness on the morning of Aug 3, he told police that he was struggling to make ends meet as a waiter and fell into deep mental distress. Police personnel provided counselling to the man, who assured authorities that he would not repeat such an act. The family expressed gratitude to the Uttar Pradesh Police for their timely action and coordination with Meta. This life-saving effort is part of an ongoing collaboration between Meta and Uttar Pradesh Police, established in 2022. Under the arrangement, any suicidal posts on Facebook or Instagram are flagged in real-time and reported via email and phone to the police. Between Jan 1, 2023, and July 31, 2025, this partnership helped save 1,195 lives across the state by facilitating timely intervention. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !
Time of India
39 minutes ago
- Time of India
Dusty roads, choked lungs: Poor AQI spikes rush at OPDs
Bhopal: Seasonal changes, along with high levels of airborne dust particles, are notably worsening breathing difficulties among individuals who already have respiratory conditions. According to Gandhi Medical College (GMC) pulmonologist and associate professor, Dr Parag Sharma, "We're seeing a 10% to 15% increase in acute exacerbations among patients with asthma and baseline chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The dust acts as a direct irritant, triggering inflammation and breathing difficulty, especially in vulnerable individuals." The latest Air Quality Index (AQI) measurements indicate that PM10 levels in the city reached approximately 80 µg/m³ during Sunday's daylight hours. This level surpasses the World Health Organisation's suggested limit of 45 µg/m³ by about 40%. PM10 particles, which measure 10 micrometres or less in diameter, are approximately one-fifth to one-seventh as wide as a human hair, enabling them to travel deep within the respiratory system and cause inflammatory responses. Rising respiratory ailments are being observed in Bhopal's hospitals due to the absence of rain and deteriorating road conditions, which have led to increased dust levels. The combination of damaged roads and post-monsoon dust has caused air pollution to exceed permissible thresholds. Doctors across the city are seeing a noticeable uptick in patient with existing COPD, asthma and bronchitis. "We've seen a sharp rise in patients complaining of breathlessness, coughing, and chest tightness. The dust from broken roads is a major contributor. It's not just an inconvenience, it's a public health hazard," said another health expert, seeking anonymity. The spike in pollution comes just weeks after the monsoon rains, which had temporarily settled airborne dust. But as the rains receded, vehicular movement on damaged roads began stirring up fine particulate matter again, leading to a double increase in the city's AQI — from 40s to upper 70s. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !
Time of India
39 minutes ago
- Time of India
2.85L+ homes surveyed in June–July; mosquito larvae found in over 12k
Nagpur: As part of intensified vector-borne disease prevention, Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) surveyed as many as 285,236 households across the city's 10 zones between June 1 and July 30 and detected presence of mosquito larvae in 12,021 of them. On Thursday, additional municipal commissioner Vasumana Pant visited Sant Dnyaneshwar Nagar along Koradi Road to inspect ongoing field operations undertaken by breeding checkers. She was accompanied by NMC health officer Dr Deepak Selokar, zonal medical officer Dr Atique ur Rahman Khan, and malaria and filaria inspectors. Dr Selokar briefed Pant on the comprehensive process of larval detection and elimination, which includes chemical treatment and field surveillance. During her field visit, Pant interacted with breeding checkers and observed their inspections at homes of suspected or confirmed cases. The breeding checkers examined water containers and eliminated mosquito larvae on-site. In addition, mosquito samples were collected to identify potential disease carriers, and fogging and larvicidal spraying were undertaken in vulnerable localities. In vacant plots with stagnant water, mosquito larvicidal oil (MLO) was sprayed to destroy breeding sites. With the monsoon intensifying the threat of diseases such as dengue, malaria, and chikungunya, NMC has ramped up action at the zonal level. During a review meeting, chaired by NMC commissioner and administrator Abhijeet Chaudhari on July 28, all zones were directed to implement aggressive disease prevention strategies. Accordingly, from Aug 1, ASHA workers will start door-to-door health surveys across the city, with a special focus on slums, vacant plots, and densely populated areas. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !
