Important Facts For Prelims
Breastfeeding-friendly Tags for Hospitals
- 20 Dec 2021
- 3 min read
Why in News
Recently, the Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India (BPNI) launched the National Accreditation Centre (NAC) for Breastfeeding Friendly Hospitals.
- BPNI is a 30-year-old organisation for protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding in India, is a national organisation that works towards protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding and appropriate complementary feeding of infants & young children.
Key Points
- About:
- It is a new initiative where hospitals across the country will be certified as Breastfeeding Friendly.
- The move came in the wake of the latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS) showing a further increase in caesarean deliveries.
- A caesarean delivery, also called a C-section, is a surgical procedure performed when a vaginal delivery is not possible or safe. During this procedure, the baby is delivered through surgical incisions made in the abdomen and the uterus.
- The objective is to assess the hospitals on policy, programmes and practises.
- It will help in reducing neonatal mortality and will impact our Infant Mortality Rate (IMR).
- Neonatal mortality is defined as death within the first 28 days of life.
- Significance of Breastfeeding:
- It is optimal for both mothers and babies. It can protect babies against infections and reduce the rates of later health problems like diabetes, obesity, and asthma.
- The protein present in breast milk is easily digested by the baby rather than in formula or cow's milk. Also, calcium and iron present in breast milk are more easily absorbed.
- It is said that for mothers, breastfeeding helps the uterus to contract and bleeding to cease more quickly after delivery. Also, it reduces the risk of breast and ovarian cancer and helps to generate a great bond for mothers with their babies.
- It is optimal for both mothers and babies. It can protect babies against infections and reduce the rates of later health problems like diabetes, obesity, and asthma.
- Related Data:
- According to the latest NFHS (2019-21), only 41.8% of mothers were able to breastfeed within the first hour of birth and provide skin-to-skin contact to the baby shortly after birth. It means that 58 % of mothers are not enabled.
- Going by approximately 24.5 million births annually, 14.2 million are deprived of the mother's milk and its benefits to the newborn and moms, violating the human rights of mother and child.
Related Government Initiatives
