The New Nation - Internet Edition

Raiatun Tehrin Tune

Panic of contaminated powder milk has gripped Rahela, a Bangladeshi mother of a two-year-old boy. But, she is not the only one; many women like her are worried since media came up seriously on the melamine-tainted hazardous imported baby food.

In fact, with every passing day, the fear of toxic milk consumption is mounting across the country. Melamine, a poisonous substance generally used in the manufacture of plastic, has been found to be added to milk, forcing dairy products and some confectioneries off the shelves in many countries.

According to a physician, it will be difficult for mothers to change the food habits of their babies who have become used to powdered milk. Even then babies younger than six months should not be given powdered milk. They should be provided breast- feeding up to six months and after that cow milk and other supplementary domestic foods could be an option.

Babies older than six months should be given khichuri, eggs, noodles and other soft food items. However, the import of contaminated milk has already been suspended following directive of the Ministry of Industries and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

China, epicenter of the contamination, has banned 22 brands of its powdered milk. Traces of melamine have been found in the Chinese baby formula Yashili-2 that was earlier found available in Bangladesh markets. The government is also taking steps to take stern action against those who are importing unregulated milk powder that pose a threat to public health.

Director General of Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institute (BSTI) M Azmal Hossain said the presence of harmful melamine has been found; the amount of melamine present in the milk formula is 72.77 milligram per kg of milk.

The government warned people against eight brands of imported milk after Dhaka University testing lab confirmed milks with toxic melamine contamination. Dano milk powder produced in Holland, Red Cow and Diploma produced in Australia, Antene produced in New Zealand, Yashili and Sweet Baby produced in China contain alarming level of toxic melamine, which is extremely hazardous for human health.

People are asked not to consume milk power of eight brands which were tested by the Dhaka University Chemistry Department laboratory. Order has been made to go for further tests of five out of eight contaminated milk powder in the laboratories of the Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and the Atomic Energy Commission.

A meeting of an inter-agency task force at the commerce ministry made the decisions, according to an official handout. Relevant agencies have also been asked to take legal action against the companies marketing powdered milk without registration and inform the task force convener about the matter.

Here comes the vital importance of a well-informed mother. A healthy and educated mother is a blessing for the family, society and the country. From pregnancy to the phase of delivery and from birth up to two years of a child's age are very important stages. So, proper planning and correct feeding by a mother to her baby are prerequisites for getting a healthy future generation.

A mother should be well aware of the great importance of breastfeeding. The world Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that a baby must be fed only breast milk up to six months of age known as "exclusive breast feeding". The first feed should be offered as soon as the baby is keen to suck immediate after the birth and mother is well enough to suckle. There is no need to feed plain glucose, water or honey.

Nutrition during the first three years are both crucial for lifelong health and well-being. In infancy, nothing is more precious than breastfeeding; yet barely one in three infants is entirely breastfed during the first four months of life.

Mother's milk is highly nutritious, and containing anti- infective and anti- allergic elements, so it is the best choice.

The benefits of breastfeeding are many. It is a proven fact that when babies are exclusively breastfed he has less chance of diarrhoea, infection, growth abnormality, nutritional disorder, and indigestion than the artificially fed babies.

Mother's milk contains abundant number of immunological substances that balances nutritional requirement of the baby. Again it gives protection from various diseases, and baby gets faster ability to fight disease.

It also benefits the mother. In a breast feeding mother the hormone called Oxytocin helps to stop bleeding after delivery. Frequency of feeding delays the resumption of menstruation. What is more, breastfeeding protects against another pregnancy and lowers the risk of breast and ovarian cancers. Again we should not forget that the emotional bond is higher between mother and the child through beast feeding.

If we think about the economic aspect, mother's milk is natural and can be produced even after her limited calorie intake. Hence all classes of people can afford it, and the breastfed baby grows up as a healthy person.

Breastfeeding is the ideal way of providing young infants with the nutrients they need for healthy growth and development. Virtually all mothers can breastfeed, provided they have accurate information, and the support of their family and the health care system.

Colostrum, the yellowish sticky breast milk produced at the end of pregnancy, is recommended by WHO as the first food for the newborn, and feeding should be initiated within the first hour after the birth. Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended up to six months of age.

(Source: BSS/Unicef Feature)