Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Aug 1: Breastfeeding begins much earlier than many people realise, with a woman's body preparing for lactation months before childbirth. During pregnancy, the breasts produce colostrum, a thick, yellowish first milk often referred to as "liquid gold" because of its high concentration of nutrients, antibodies and immune-boosting components essential for a newborn's health.
Following childbirth, milk production increases significantly within one or two days, providing the infant with the nourishment needed for healthy growth and development.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that newborns receive colostrum within the "golden hour"—the first 60 minutes after birth. Early breastfeeding helps strengthen the baby's immune system, reduces the risk of infections and supports the establishment of successful breastfeeding.
The WHO also advises against the practice of giving pre-lacteal feeds, which include water, honey, sugar water, animal milk or other foods and liquids before breastfeeding is initiated. Such practices can interfere with breastfeeding and increase the risk of infections.
Further, the global health body recommends exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for the first six months of life. Under exclusive breastfeeding, infants should receive only breast milk, without any additional food or drink, including water, except for oral rehydration solution, vitamins, minerals or medicines when medically required.
Despite these recommendations, exclusive breastfeeding rates in India remain below the desired level.
According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-6 for 2023-24, only 55.8 per cent of infants below six months of age in India were exclusively breastfed. This means that nearly 44 per cent of babies in this age group were introduced to other foods or liquids before completing six months.
Health experts note that exclusive breastfeeding offers numerous benefits for both infants and mothers. For babies, it provides complete nutrition, protects against diarrhoea, pneumonia and other infections, supports healthy brain development and lowers the risk of obesity and certain chronic diseases later in life. For mothers, breastfeeding helps reduce postpartum bleeding, promotes recovery after childbirth and lowers the long-term risk of breast and ovarian cancers.
Public health experts say improving exclusive breastfeeding rates will require greater awareness among families, stronger counselling during antenatal and postnatal care, workplace support for nursing mothers and community-based initiatives to encourage early initiation and continued breastfeeding.
The WHO continues to stress that timely feeding of colostrum, avoiding pre-lacteal feeds and maintaining exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months remain among the most effective interventions for improving child survival and health outcomes.