Health workers vital to breastfeeding

HEALTH professionals and workers caring for mothers and infants should be equipped with breastfeeding management and counselling skills to contribute for healthier population, said a senior health official yesterday.



During the opening of the "Infant and Young Child Nutrition Course for Health Workers", the Ministry of Health's (MoH) Director General Dr Hjh Rahmah Hj Md Said said the service and the environment provided by women folk at health clinics and hospitals, would influence the practice of successful breastfeeding.

"Even though breastfeeding is a natural thing, this practice requires a lot of support, particularly for mothers lacking in experience who have recently given birth. It is therefore vital for health workers to be equipped with the right and basic knowledge to care for mothers, their newborns and children," she said.

Dr Hjh Rahmah noted that a perfect and balanced diet for infants and children was very important, as it played a large role in a child's development and growth process, which would ensure a child would be healthy and would maintain a level of fitness throughout his life.

"Scientific research has indicated that breastmilk contains nutrition and protection, which benefits not only the child but the mother herself. Besides that, the psychological factor related to breastfeeding also has been proven of its role in strengthening love and intimacy between a mother and child, an opportunity that only happens in a short period of time," said the ministry's official.

Speaking to 113 health workers, including community health nurses, pediatric nurses and hospital maternity unit's nurses among others yesterday, she explained the half-day workshop was part of the ministry's ongoing efforts since 2000, to have programmes like in-house training about children's food.

These breastfeeding efforts are in line with the Natural Feeding Policy the MoH launched in 2001, she said, which stressed: "Every mother should be encouraged to exclusively breastfeed their infants from birth to six months and continue until the child reaches two years of age, while giving appropriate complementary food."

The ministry's press statement said that exclusive breastfeeding was when an infant received only breastmilk from the mother, or a wet nurse or expressed breastmilk and no other liquids or solids. This also excludes water with the exception of oral rehydration solution, drops or syrups consisting of vitamins, minerals, supplements or medicines.

Dr Hjh Rahmah said it was the duty of health workers to provide the best care to new mothers. "As a Melayu Islam Beraja country, it is our duty as health workers to motivate and give support to mothers, to give the best start to their child's like through breastfeeding. Certainly with an increase of mothers breastfeeding in the country, it will form healthier individuals and societies, who are smart and intelligent and who are faithful to their parents."

She urged health workers to continuously step up their respective skills, and to provide coaching and advice confidently and competently.

"Health workers should also implant good attitudes of caring and providing sincere treatment to mothers, as it is the mother's right to deserve this. I hope that through pure efforts, health workers will yield positive results on breastfeeding, and increase the rate of breastfeeding in the country, compared to 10 years ago," she added.

The workshop was held at the Orchid Garden Hotel, and was facilitated by four health representatives, three from the ministry. The Brunei Times