British mothers to be given shopping vouchers to breastfeed!

India is often projected at times as a backward nation in international media, the recent Assam Rape Festival spoof piece being a case in point. So imagine our consternation when we came across a news piece that said that British (our former colonial rulers) mothers would be paid to breastfeed their babies under a trial scheme aimed at boosting the practice in poor areas where breastfeeding is stigmatised!

New mothers will actually be paid to breastfeed their babies in Derbyshire and South Yorkshire and will be offered shopping vouchers worth 120 ($200), if they breastfeed for the first six weeks and this amount will rise to 200 if they continue for six months. Some 130 women from deprived areas will take part in the pilot scheme. 'The UK has one of the worst breastfeeding rates in the world and breastfeeding rates vary very widely across different parts of the country,' said Clare Relton of Sheffield University, which is running the pilot in collaboration with the government. 'Babies who are breastfed have fewer health problems such as upset tummies and chest infections, and are less likely to develop diabetes and obesity when they are older.'

Why is breastfeeding important?

Breastfeeding, is essential for both the mother and the child. It helps create a bond between the mother and the baby and gives your child the immunity and nutritional boost it requires right after birth. It is recommended by the WHO (World Health Organization), La Leche League and the Indian Academy of Paediatricians, that a baby should be breastfed for at least the first two years of their life.

Some of its benefits are:

Vital for cognitive and sensory development

Along with nutritional values, experts are of the opinion that breast milk promotes sensory and cognitive development in children and builds an infant's immunity. It also prevents infections and makes an infant less prone to chronic diseases

Good for the mother too!

Breastfeeding also contributes to a mother's health research has found a definite link between breastfeeding and reduced ovarian and breast cancer risk.

Also read: The importance of breastfeeding and A new mom's guide to breastfeeding

With inputs from IANS

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