Moms for formula milk for babies

“Unlike four or five children in a family, couples these days plan well and have only one or two children. But, work tension, meeting deadlines, stress, changing lifestyle, obesity and diabetes affects the health of the child,” said B.I. Sasireka, HoD of Neonatology, Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Government Hospital for Women and Children.

More than 20 per cent of the newborns are taken to the Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) these days. This separation of mother and the child in the first few weeks and psychological trauma by the duo result in poor secretion of milk from the mother, said Dr Deepa Hariharan, Neonatologist of Sooriya Hospital.

NICUs are available only in five hospitals in the city and most of the time the mother and the child are not even in the same hospital, due to the cost involved in setting up the unit. Cost of the preserved mother’s milk is also forcing mothers to go for formula milk, she said. But, continuous monitoring of the mothers, proper counseling and guidance will help them to secrete milk better.

The hospital conducted a study, where it gave yoga training to mothers waiting outside the neonatal units. The milk secretion was better with these mothers than the mothers, who were not given training, she said.

“Two or three out of 10 healthy babies are discharged without their mothers being trained in breastfeeding. Obviously, the problem arises while feeding, resulting in easy shift to formula milk,” the doctor said and adds that proper training in latching-on technique in the first two to three weeks after delivery will surely help the mother in continuing exclusive breastfeeding up to six months even if the mother is in a fairly hectic job.