Benefits of Breast Milk: WHO has also warned that according to the rules, only mother's milk should be given to children till the age of 6 months, nothing else. But this does not happen in the case of half the children. Apart from this, the mother's milk should be given to the child in the first hour of birth. But this happens only in 50% of the cases. 
WHO On Powder Milk: World Health Organization has cautioned through research published in Lancet. WHO has said that companies making baby food i.e. formula milk are preventing women from breastfeeding by resorting to marketing and spreading confusion by counting the benefits of formula milk i.e. powdered milk for children. This practice needs to be stopped.
WHO warned
WHO has also warned that according to the rules, only mother's milk should be given to children till the age of 6 months, nothing else. But this does not happen in the case of half the children. Apart from this, the mother's milk should be given to the child in the first hour of birth. But this happens only in 50% of the cases.
Mother's milk is the best food for a newborn baby. How many times and in many ways has the government tried to sell this line? But the marketing of those who sell canned milk is getting heavy on this. WHO and Lancet have disclosed this in their reports.
Formula milk is considered a substitute for breast milk. The market of formula milk worldwide is more than 55 billion dollars i.e. there is a turnover of about 41 trillion rupees. Formula milk is made by processing cow's milk so that the baby's kidney can digest it. This milk with canned powder is considered an alternative to breast milk, but in the opinion of experts, it should be used only in an emergency.
According to pediatrician Dr. Vivek Goswami, only mother's milk contains maximum nutrients. Mothers should be assured that they can give enough milk according to the needs of the child and can also feed the child. Many times, due to fear, hesitation, and lack of information, mothers start thinking that they will not be able to do this work properly.
A milk bank is also an option
Doctors believe that if the mother is not able to feed the child due to any medical reason, then the alternative of a milk bank should be explored. Mothers who make more milk can store it and donate it to the milk bank. Although this concept is new at present there are only a few such banks in metros. In such a situation, if the mother is unable to feed milk to the child due to illness or low production, then only the option of formula milk should be considered.
The truth about serving formula milk
In a research released in February last year, WHO had told that in collaboration with UNICEF, the agency interviewed 8500 parents and 300 healthcare workers. These interviews were conducted in Bangladesh, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, China, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam.
In the United Kingdom, 84% of mothers were aware of formula milk. While 97 percent of mothers in China and 92 percent of mothers in Vietnam were told about formula milk. One-third of the women surveyed said that they were advised by some healthcare workers to buy and use formula milk by taking the name of the brand.
98% of women in Bangladesh and 49% of women in Morocco consider only breastfeeding better. According to the report, the misleading propaganda of the companies suggests that formula milk is beneficial from the first day of birth itself. It is also propagated that only breastfeeding does not fill the stomach of the child. It is also claimed that the ingredients of formula milk increase the immunity of the child. Formula milk fills the baby's stomach and the quality of breast milk deteriorates over time. But the truth is something else.
Benefits of breastfeeding to the baby
Breastfeeding is very important in the first hour after birth. Apart from breast milk till 6 months, the baby does not need anything else. This strengthens the foundation of the child's immunity for life and also prevents obesity. Breastfeeding is called the first vaccine for the child. The elements present in it work to protect the child from many diseases at the time of birth. If the mother gets the child breastfed regularly, then the risk of diabetes, obesity, and cancer is less in the future. But despite all these advantages, only 44% of children can breastfeed till the age of 6 months. Breastfeeding has not increased in the last two decades, but formula milk sales have more than doubled in the same period.
