Breastfeeding kiosk inaugurated at Bethany Hospital for lactating women’s privacy

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaAugust 19, 2023

District Medical Health Officer (DMHO) East Khasi Hills Dr.Adreena Lyngdoh stated that breastfeeding plays a role in saving lives and laid stress on the first hour initiation of breastfeeding.

To ensure privacy and dignity of lactating women, Lyngdoh inaugurated the breast feeding kiosk installed at Bethany Hospital, Nongrim Hills by the Inner Wheel Club of Shillong on Saturday.

Speaking at the programme District Medical Health Officer (DMHO) Dr.Adreena Lyngdoh said that the kiosk has eliminated one of the barriers of achieving exclusive breastfeeding.

She said that it is ironic that the first hour initiation of breastfeeding is only 42 per cent even as the institutional deliveries is 79 per cent in East Khasi Hills.

She turned to the theme of Breastfeeding week “Let’s make breastfeeding and work, work” wherein the campaign focuses on promoting the practice that breastfeeding is done in a respectable manner.

Speaking on women’s health, Lyngdoh spoke about the Rescue Mission which is an initiative taken by the government of Meghalaya wherein the objective of the mission is to reduce maternal deaths and infant mortality deaths.

She said that the other objective of the rescue mission is to increase the life-expectancy where in Meghalaya it stands at 62.3 years.

Consultant paediatrician Bethany Hospital Uma Ghosh highlighted the importance of breastfeeding which is beneficial to both mother and child wherein the chances of viral, respiratory disease comes down by 33 percent.

“Also the IQ, the neuro development of the baby who is breastfed is very high as compared to the baby who is family fed,” she said.

She said that the chances of mothers getting breast cancer and ovarian cancer is very less if the mother is breastfeeding.

“Breastfeeding has to be initiated within the first hour of birth and exclusive breastfeeding till six months of age and after that combined feeding till two years and beyond,” Ghosh said.

Meanwhile, district president Geeta Sarin lauded the IWC for taking up important projects.