Breastfeeding best for babies: Experts

Child and nutrition experts have said breast milk is the best food for the infants and young children and breastfeeding fosters optimal growth and development of a baby’s brain. ‘It is the foremost duty of all mothers to start breastfeeding within 1 hour of birth, sustain exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months and continue breastfeeding up to two years or beyond along with providing home made nutritious complementary foods to the infants,’ they said. Firoja, a female baby of 7 months at Shanta village of Sarsa upazila of Jessore, is suffering from moderate malnutrition. Ashraf, father of Firoja, said health condition of my child is not well and she often suffers from different diseases. SSs and SKs made it clear to mothers that they could feed their children breast milk even when they are out of home. One of the Sks Firoja Khatun of BRAC told that the mother could suck their breast milk and keep it in three separate pots so that their babies could take the milk during their works. She said the sucked milk would remain fresh for up to 6 to 8 hours when it is kept outside refrigerator. If kept in a fridge, it would remain fresh for at least 72 hours, according to BSS.