Breastfeeding: Health benefits but Thai mothers avoid it

Newborn babies get nutrients & immunity from mother's milk, but only 12% breastfeed over first six months in Thailand.

HEALTH

Breastfeeding: Health benefits but Thai mothers avoid it

25/04/2016
Penchan Charoensuthipan

In Thailand, 46% of newborns are breastfed in the first hour after their birth but an alarmingly low percentage are breastfed after that.

Only 12% of Thai babies are breastfed during their first six months.

About 25% of the family income is spent on powdered milk.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF BREASTFEEDING

Breastfeeding, however, has immense benefits for children's health and the mother's also.

A recent study, the Lancet Breastfeeding Series 2016 by Sue Horton at the University of Waterloo, clearly indicates the health benefits of breastfeeding.

For starters, breastfeeding supplies nutrients and immunity to the newborn baby.

Breastfeeding also helps reduce the risk of diabetes, obesity and breast cancer when children grow up.

The risk of breast cancer among mothers falls 6% for each year of breastfeeding.

The study also indicates that 50% of the children under the age of two who have diarrhoea lack immunity due to not being fed breast milk.

PROMOTING BREASTFEEDING

"More than 25% of family incomes are spent on powdered milk to feed their babies which is an unnecessary expense. It results from a competitive market which convinces mothers powdered milk is good despite the fact that mothers' milk is the best for children's health," according to Ms Horton's study.

She also suggested the government promote breastfeeding by creating a mother zone in workplaces and other public areas. The places would have to be clean and tidy, and ideally would provide women with some privacy, so they are suitable for breastfeeding and breast-milk pumping for storage.

Meanwhile, Health Department director-general Wachira Pengchan yesterday said the department encourages mothers to breastfeed their babies as it is good for children's development.

HIGHER IQ

Mr Wachira said breastfed infants are also likely to have higher intelligence quotient (IQ) levels than those fed on powdered milk.

He said there was a misconception among Thais that breastfeeding was an outdated method despite the fact that mother's milk is beneficial to babies' health.

In its efforts to ensure adequate nutrition for infants through breastfeeding, the Public Health Ministry has also proposed "milk code" measures to regulate powdered milk marketing, he said.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/946357/too-many-mums-dodge-breast-feeding-study-finds

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