ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has high infant mortality rate owing to low breastfeeding, high bottle feeding rate in South Asia. Health experts blame lack of awareness about importance of breastfeeding among mothers as well as government’s apathy in enforcing laws to discourage bottle feeding.
According to the Demographic Health Survey (DHS) 2012-13, only 37 per cent children in Pakistan are exclusively breastfed till six months which is worst among the South Asian countries.
The survey indicates an upsurge in the trend of bottle feeding practices. The ration of bottle feeding increased from 32 per cent in 2006-07 to 41 per cent in 2012-13.
“Exclusive breastfeeding rates are lowest and bottle feeding highest among women from upper class and working women,” said Dr Tabish Hazir, head of paediatric medicine in the children hospital of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), stressing the need for enforcement of laws on formula milk and marketing code.
“Mothers should exclusively breastfeed their babies at least during the first six months and avoid formula milk which is the root cause of many diseases including diarrhoea and acute respiratory infections among children,” he said.
On an average, 25 to 30 mothers take their children with acute diarrhoea to public hospitals daily.
Majority of mothers living in semi-urban or rural areas who are feeding their babies formula milk are unaware of the fact that they should prepare milk in clean and boiled water, as contaminated water is equal to giving ‘poison’ to their babies, said Hazir. “The ignorance about hygienic practices are the major reasons behind various stomach-related diseases among children, such as diarrhoea, which is the second leading cause of deaths in children aged five and below,” he said.
Internews
