(1) Every educational or other material, whether audio or visual, dealing with pre-natal or post-natal care or with the feeding of an infant and intended to reach pregnant women and mothers of infante shall, besides the information specified in clauses (a) tO^^'OT^'suV^ecWfi^Tt) of section 7, shall include:
(a) the following details of advantages, as also nutritio-, nal superiority of breast feeding:—
(i) Immediately after delivery, breast milk is yello wish and sticky. This milk is called colostrum, Which is secreted during the first week of delivery.
Colostrum is more nutritious than that of mature milk because it contains more protein, more antiinfective properties which are of great importance for the infant's defence against dangerous neonatal infactiong. It also contains higher levels of Vitamin 'A1.
tiQ^hntot milk— (A) is a complete and balan«*d fo&d and provide* all the nutrients needed by the infant in the first 'few' months of * * birth;
(B) has anti-infective properties &af protect-lSe infants from infection in the early months;
(C) is always available;
(D) needs no utensils or water (which nrifcht carry germs) or fuel for its preparation', i
(iii) breast feeding is much cheaper than feeding infant milk substitutes as the-'cost of the extra food needed by the mother is negligible computed to the cost of feeding infant milk-sufcstkutos;
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(iv) mothers who breast feed usually have longer periods of infertility after child birth than nonlactators.
(b) details of management of breast feeding, as under:—
(i) breast feeding— (A) immediately after delivery enagles the contraction of the womb and helps the mother to re- --gain her figure quickly;
(B) is successful when the infant suckles frequently and the mother wanting to breast-feed is confident in her ability to do so.
(ii) in order to promote and support breast feeding the mothers natural desire to breast feed should always be encouraged by giving, where needed, practical advice and making sure that she has the support of her relatives.
(iii) adequate care for the breast and nipples should be taken during pregnancy.
(iv) it is also necessary to put the infant to the breast as soon as possible after delivery.
(v) let the mother and the infant stay together after the delivery, the mother and her infant should be allowed to stay together (in hospital, this is called "rooming-in").
(vi) give the infant colostrum as it is rich in many nutrients and anti-infective factors protecting the infants from infections during the few days of its birth.
(vii) the practice of discarding colostrum and giving sugar water, honey water, butter or other concoctions instead of colostrum should be very strongly discouraged.
(viii) let the infants suckle on demand.
(ix) every effort should be made to breast feed the infants whenever they cry.
(x) mother should keep her body and clothes and that of the infant always neat and clean.
[No. F. 12-1/93-NT] MEENAXI ANAND CHAUDHRY, Jt. Secy.
Printed by the Manager, Govt. of Jndia Press, Ring Road, Maya Puri, New DeIhi-n0O64 and Published by the Ccnirolkr o< Publications, Delhi-110054. 1993