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Countdown to 2015 for maternal, newborn, and child survival
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Savage, Felicity Renfrew, Mary J. Bland, Ruth Margaret |
| Copyright Year | 2008 |
| Abstract | Your Countdown Series (April 12, p 1247) fails to refl ect a major con clusion of the earlier Series on maternal and child under nutrition— ie, that sub optimum breast feeding is responsible for 1·4 million child deaths each year. The relevant proven intervention—breastfeeding counselling—is not identifi ed, and mention is made only of breastfeeding, which is not an inter vention, and breast feeding promotion, which by itself lacks eff ective ness. Breastfeeding counselling, in which mothers receive skilled help to optimise practices, and related education drama tically increases rates of initiation and exclusive breastfeeding. Input is needed proactively, antenatally and postnatally, at times when a mother expects it, not just reactively when she experiences diffi culties. The more contacts mothers have, the more likely they are to breastfeed. The new WHO child growth standards, which show faster growth in the early months, are based on breastfed children whose mothers received frequent support. Infant feeding might improve with behavioural and social change, but supportive health-care practices are a prerequisite, and should be a Countdown imperative. Breastfeeding counselling and education can be included with scheduled antenatal care, immunisation, and growth monitoring; and implemented with existing packages such as skilled attendance at delivery, and postnatal and newborn care. However, infant feeding must be specifi ed as part of the package, appropriate tasks described and taught, and the procedure recorded; if not, care might focus entirely on the mother’s health, or on detection and management of newborn illnesses. One cannot assume that, just because there is an opportunity for breastfeeding counselling, anything useful will happen. |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| DOI | 10.1016/S0140-6736(08)61147-2 |
| PubMed reference number | 18675677 |
| Journal | Medline |
| Volume Number | 372 |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://api.elsevier.com/content/article/pii/S0140673608611472 |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673608611472?dgcid=api_sd_search-api-endpoint |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736%2808%2961147-2 |
| Journal | The Lancet |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
