On Friday, 26th January 2023, The Chairperson of HOPE – An NGO in Pakistan, Dr. Mubina Aboatwalla was invited for a morning Talk show on City21 channel. The other guest who were invited on the talk show were Dr. Ibrahim Yousuf (A Pediatric Consultant) and Rani Apa. The topic discussed on the talkshow was based on neonatal care and the importance of mother’s milk during the initial months.
New parents are bombarded with
conflicting information about feeding their baby. Many traditional techniques
of feed include giving Ghutti to neonatal, which is highly discouraged by
doctors, since it may result in a strong and over dosage of nutrients making
digestion difficult. Ghutti consists of a combination of ingredients which
include jaiphal, anjeer, kishmish, ajwain, sonth, palash beej, Vacha, Sanai,
etc.
However, the first year of life is a period
when the body is undergoing rapid growth and changes. Our long-term body
weight, fitness, metabolic programming, immune system, and overall ageing are
all influenced by what we eat as babies.
Dr. Mubina
Agboatwalla - Child specialist in
Karachi in the talk show along with Dr. Ibrahim Yousuf spoke about how
important breast feed is for the initial first 6 months of life, babies may be
exclusively breastfed. They further added that breast milk contains the ideal
food combination for children. Antibodies, antimicrobials, enzymes and
anti-inflammatories as well as fatty acids, are all present (which together
promote optimal brain development). The closer a child is kept to the mother’s chest;
it will result in a higher production of breast milk which is beneficial for
the baby.
Breastfeeding
also aids in the proper development and growth of babies, as well as in the
prevention of illness (such as gastrointestinal and respiratory infections) in
the future. It can also ensure that children grow up to prefer nutritious
foods.
Since
breastfeeding triggers the release of beneficial hormones such as oxytocin and
prolactin, it may help the mother lose weight and bond with her baby. Breast milk
is delivered in a biodegradable “organic package”, so mom doesn’t need to use
any plastic packaging. Breast milk has enough water in it to keep the baby
hydrated. Top feed can be given at a
later stage as an additional diet after 6 months.
Dr.
Mubina Agboatwalla, who is the Chairperson of HOPE – A Health NGO in Pakistan
does her best to provide the basic knowledge, needed by young mothers for
guidance. So that they are aware of
what is best for their babies.