Chitwan: Medical doctors have advised mothers to refrain from using mobile phones while breastfeeding their babies. During an interaction organized by Kantipur Health Online in Bharatpur, marking World Breastfeeding Week, healthcare professionals emphasized that using mobile phones during breastfeeding is detrimental to both mothers and babies.

Pediatricians at Bharatpur Hospital, including Dr. Sweta Kumari Gupta, advised lactating mothers to avoid mobile phones during breastfeeding. Dr. Gupta explained that mobile phone use could distract mothers, making them less attentive to their babies' needs and reducing the quality of their emotional engagement. This distraction could lead to inadequate milk consumption and decreased mother-child affection.

Dr. Gupta stressed the importance of touch and emotional engagement for early childhood development. She recommended that mothers snuggle and caress their babies while nursing directly from the breast and pay attention to the posture of both mother and baby during feeding. She also noted that newborns require only their mother's milk for the first six months to ensure proper physical development.

Regular breastfeeding is associated with reduced risks of pneumonia, diarrhea, and asthma in babies. Dr. Gupta advised that mothers can collect and store their milk if they need to return to work, explaining that breast milk can be kept at room temperature for 4 to 6 hours or refrigerated for up to 24 hours. However, she cautioned against directly heating refrigerated milk, recommending instead to warm it by placing the container in hot water.

Supplementary food can be introduced to babies after six months of age. Dr. Gupta suggested that if hospitals implemented a policy allowing breast milk to be fed to newborns through surgeries, it would improve the health of both mothers and babies, as opposed to the current practice of initially feeding powdered milk to babies born through surgeries.

Prof. Dr. Sunil Mani Pokharel, a gynecologist and Chief of the Department of Gynecology at Bharatpur Hospital, also highlighted the benefits of regular breastfeeding for both mothers and babies. He noted that breastfeeding up to six months supports the health and physical development of children and reduces the risk of breast and ovarian cancer in mothers. Dr. Pokharel recommended breastfeeding 8 to 12 times a day and continuing for at least the first two years to foster love and affection between mother and child.

Dr. Pokharel observed that some mothers avoid breastfeeding to maintain their physical appearance, which can adversely impact the physical and mental growth of their babies and pose health risks to the mothers themselves. He reported a decrease in the number of maternity cases at Bharatpur Hospital, from over 12,000 in the previous fiscal year to more than 9,000 in the last fiscal year. He attributed this decline to maternity services provided by village health clinics and the emigration of young people.

Chief Editor of Kantipur Health, Tilak Rimal, emphasized the need for widespread publicity about the importance of breastfeeding and the creation of supportive environments for breastfeeding in workplaces.