Breastfeeding helps reduce child mortality rate in Malaysia

Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL) paediatrics and neonatology consultant Dr Farah Inaz Syed Abdullah said breastfeeding was the best way to reduce the risk of death among infant and children because breast milk provides nutrients and long-lasting active immunity that helps maintain the health of the child until adulthood.

"If children across the world were breastfed during the golden hour, that is the first hour after birth, it is estimated that one million child deaths could be avoided.

"This is because during this first feeding, the child will be fed with colostrum, the first milk that contains the right amounts of nutrients, in the right proportions for the newborn.

"What makes it unique is that the amount of nutrients in breast milk changes as the baby grows," she told Bernama recently.

Dr Farah Inaz said colostrum also contained antibodies that could protect the newborn from various diseases such as diarrhea, colds and lung inflammation.

In fact, it acts as the first immunisation for the newborn, she said.

Meanwhile, Universiti Putra Malaysia senior medical lecturer and specialist in obstetrics and gynecology, Dr Maiza Tusimin said breastfeeding could also reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), which usually due to choking.

"SIDS often happens to babies who were fed with infant formula through a bottle. This risk can be reduced as breast milk is given in an exclusive manner and full of attention, besides the fact that it also contains lipase, an enzyme that aids in the digestion of fats naturally," she said.

Although modern technology tried to imitate and develop infant formula closest to breast milk, Dr Maiza said the nutrition and the natural goodness contained in breast milk remained unmatched.

Head of National Lactation Centre Dr Noor Haliza Yussoff, on the other hand, told Bernama that in a bid to promote breastfeeding, the Health Ministry had established baby-friendly hospitals since 1993.

Dr Noor Haliza, who is also HKL obstetrics and gynecology senior consultant, said that in 1998, Malaysia had also received the World Health Organization's recognition as the third country in the world, after Sweden and Oman, to have successfully accredited all public hospitals as baby-friendly hospitals.

"All government hospitals in Malaysia have achieved the status of Baby-Friendly Hospital, where all newborns will only be fed with breast milk while in the hospital.

"New mothers will also be taught how to breastfeed and how to continue doing so until their babies reach the age of six months," she said.

Dr Noor Haliza said public awareness on the importance of breastfeeding was on the rise, especially with the realisation that breastfeeding process would not only benefit the baby, but also the mother.

She said by breastfeeding their babies, mothers would be able to lose weight and reduce the risk of having breast or ovarian cancer, osteoporosis or close pregnancies.

"It's not very hard to spot a woman breastfeeding her child in public places now. In fact, working mothers have also taken a wise step to pump, collect and store their breast milk to feed their babies at home.

"This is indeed a good indicator of the rising public awareness on the importance of breastfeeding," Dr Noor Haliza said.

For the record, over 170 countries, including Malaysia, are participating in the celebration of World Breastfeeding Week from Aug 1 to 7 each year.

This year, it was celebrated with the theme 'Breastfeeding: A Winning Goal For Life'.