NON-SURROGATE MOTHERS CAN BREAST FEED

With surrogacy gaining importance, most important element of parenting need not be missed. Women, even when they opt for a child trough surrogate mother, can still breast feed their babies through a new drug called, GALACTOGOGUES, which helps to initiate & maintain adequate milk production. As breast feeding is important for the first 6 months of a child's life, doctors are beginning to recommend induced lactation, in such cases. 

WHO recommends, exclusive beast feeding for the first 6 months & continued breast feeding along with appropriate type & amount of complimentary foods until the child turns 2. Breast feeding continues to benefit a child's overall health & development after the 1st year.

For the 1st 6 months, beast milk answers all the nutritional demands of the baby. it has just the right amount of the sugar, water & protein required for adequate growth & development. Over time,breast milk also changes according to baby's needs. It becomes thinner over time, but is just as full of the essential nutrients & antibodies a baby requires.

Breast milk is also the baby's 1st immunisation.Colostrum, secreted by the mother's mammary glands a few days before & after the childbirth, contains  many essential antibodies that confer immunity. Over all, breast milk protects the baby from diarrhoea, ear infections, chest infection & other conditions. Studies also suggest that there is a strong co-relation between breastfeeding & cognitive development.Other than physical benefits, breast feeding alos helps emotional bonding between a mother & her child. This is even more important in surrogacy, as the baby has not been reared in the mother's womb. Breast feeding helps an infant develop feelings of security & comfort & also helps him/her to relate positively to the mother, thereby facilitating good emotional & cognitive development.

Zinc supplement can reduce infant deaths

Giving zinc as a supplement along with antibiotics can significantly reduce mortality by lowering treatment failure in children suffering from serious infections such as pneumonia and meningitis, according to a study.

The study, has found that babies who were given zinc supplement were 40 per cent less likely to experience treatment failure and their risk of death was reduced by 43 per cent.

Research had already shown that zinc supplements could help cure diarrhoea and zinc syrups or dispersible tablets were already available for its treatment in many countries.

Worldwide, bacterial and other infections account for nearly two-thirds of deaths in children under five, with around two-fifths of the deaths occurring within the first month of life. In India, of the one million neonatal deaths that occur every year, more than a quarter are attributed to these infections.