SPREADING AWARENESS:Girl students going through pamphlets on breast-feeding, ORS and anaemic conditions —.
CUDDALORE:
The Cuddalore district branch of the Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP) has embarked upon a campaign to disseminate information on the positive aspects of breast-feeding, administration of oral re-hydration salt (ORS), and overcoming anaemic condition among adolescents.
In this endeavour, the IAP has roped in service organizations, self-help groups, para-medical staff and educational institutions, according to V. Namachivayam, leading paediatrician and coordinator of the Cuddalore IAP.
Educating students
Dr. Namachivayam told The Hindu that the IAP had chosen to educate the girl students in the Plus-One and Plus-Two levels on the joy of motherhood and the advantages of breast-feeding. The girls were quite receptive and moreover they invariably carried the message to their families, thereby facilitating a wider reach of the programme. When the doctors were explaining the salient aspects of breast-feeding, curious members of the SHGs raised many pertinent questions. The SHG members were initially reluctant to discuss the subject but having learnt about its importance, they were keen on learning more about it.
The IAP also told them that besides strengthening immunity to diseases, breast-feeding also contributed to the growth of intellect and protected children from infectious diseases. Dr. Namachivayam stressed that each child should be breastfed for six months and afterwards, they could be put on supplementary diets but never on tinned food available in the market.
Supplementary food
Porridge prepared from rice and maize, smashed banana, potato, beetroot and carrot and rice mixed with pulses ground to a pulp were the healthy supplementary food that could be given to the infants from the sixth month. When they attained 12 months, regular food could be given in conformity with their appetite. Dr Namachivayam said that the ORS solution was a life saver when the children develop diarrhoea. The IAP also spelt out the kinds of food to be consumed by the anaemic people to stay healthy.
The IAP had been organizing the “triple celebrations” across the district to reach the target groups. Moreover, it was also distributing handouts on all the three aspects for ready reference. The campaign in this regard had won the Cuddalore chapter of the IAP many a laurel, Dr. Namachivayam added.
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