SPS Apollo Hospitals launches support group for Breast Feeding

Ludhiana, August 3rd 2012: The department of Gynaecology, Neonatology and Paediatrics at SPS Apollo Hospitals have launched a support group for Breast Feeding.

This support shall include doctors, specially trained lactation nurses and 10 mothers, who have volunteered to be a part of this group and help spread awareness and educate mothers regarding the importance of breast feeding.

The world breast feeding week is celebrated every year from 1st to 7th August to promote awareness regarding breast feeding. SPS Apollo Hospitals has taken a lead in this campaign by launching various new initiatives during this week this year.

According to Dr.VaneetKaur, Senior Consultant, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, a breast feeding policy has been formulated and implemented in the hospital in accordance with the ‘Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative’. In line with this policy, the hospital has launched a support group of mothers and health care professionals to help the new mothers initiate and sustain breast feeding. As a part of the support group mothers who have exclusively breast fed their babies for 6 months will help the new mothers in solving various practical problems in breast feeding.

Jugdiep Singh, Managing Director, SPS Apollo Hospitals, while launching the World Breast Feeding Week exhorted all the medical professionals to unitedly work towards making universal breast feeding for all babies a reality. He also gave certificate and badges to a group of seven lactation nurses who will help the mothers in breast feeding.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Ashwani Singal, Senior Consultant, Department of Neonatology, emphasized the need for exclusive breast feeding in children less than 6 months. Besides the short term effects in reducing pneumonia, diarrhoea, ear infections in children breast feeding decreases the risk of long term problems like asthma, eczema, wheat allergy, obesity and diabetes in addition to improving the IQ of the children.

Launching the breast feeding support group, Dr VaneetKaur, Senior Consultant,Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, said that breast feeding is not only beneficial to the babies but also to the mothers. Mothers who breast feed have a decreased risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and breast and ovarian cancers.

According to Dr. Pradeep Sharma, Consultant, Department of Neonatology, more than 10 million children all over the world die before their 5th birthday and a large majority of these deaths occur in developing countries. India contributes to more than 25% of the under -5 mortality. He addedmore than 13% of these deaths could be prevented by a simple intervention like exclusive breast feeding for 6 months.