DHAKA, Feb 17: Infant should be given first breast milk as it contains colostrums, which is highly nutritious and has antibodies that protect the newborn from diseases.

While talking to this correspondent, Professor Dr Khursheed Jahan of Institute of Nutrition and Food Science of Dhaka University said infants must be given first breast milk as it make strong their body's immune and resistance systems which help to protect them from different diseases.

She said most of the mothers do not know the importance of first breast milk and in many cases newborns are deprived of first breast milk, which renders children more prone to illness by weakening their body's immune system.

Describing breastfeeding as the safe food for children, Dr Khursheed said children easily digest it, which helps ensure proper mental and physical growth with reducing the chances of illness.

Seven months old Pakhi of Singra Chalan Beel area of Natore district is suffering from moderate malnutrition. Atahar, father of Pakhi, said health condition of my child is not well and she often suffers from different diseases.

"After his birth , we have given different liquid foods alongside breastfeeding and now we are giving a little amount of complementary foods."

Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer of Singra Hospital of Natore Dr Belal Hossain said most children of Chalan Beel area are suffering from different degree of malnutrition as they are not given exclusive breastfeeding due to lack knowledge of parents about advantages of breast milk.

He observed that many infant children are given treatment from the hospital every day and most of them suffer pneumonia, diorrhoea and different water-borne diseases.

"We can protect our children from the diseases, if they are given breastfeeding properly," Dr Belal added.

Dr Khursheed said just after birth of newborns, many people give their children different liquid foods instead of breast milk but the practices are not good for children.

She said every child should be given breast milk from the very first hour of birth for his proper mental and physical growth as breast milk contains all the nutrients needed by children during the first months of life.

Chances of illness of the children are very high, those who are given animal milks and other liquid food, Dr Khursheed said child mortality could be cut significantly, if infant and young children are given breastfeeding properly

She said poor breastfeeding and infant feeding practices have adverse consequences for the health and nutritional status of children.

According to Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey, one in five deaths could be checked, if newborns are given breastfeeding from the very first hour of their births.

It also showed 43 percent of children are breastfed within one hour of birth and 89 percent breastfed within one day after delivery and 98 percent children breastfed for a period of time.

Eighteen percent of breastfeeding children under the age of six months consume animal milk, while 13 percent liquids other than water and nine percent consume infant formula.

UNICEF and WHO recommended that children be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life and that children be given solid or semisolid complementary foods beginning with the seventh month of life.

WHO also recommended breastfeeding should be continued through the second year of life.