CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – The provincial government through the Provincial Nutrition Council (PNC) stressed the essence of exclusive breastfeeding to pregnant and lactating mothers through trainings and seminar workshops.
Rustica Butiu, provincial nutrition action officer said that one of the problems in nutrition in the province is the lack of interest on the significance of breastfeeding among mothers despite the presence of trained midwives and health workers in their respective barangays who educate them.
“Many of our new mothers are ignorant of the benefits of breastfeeding aside from its economic advantage,” she said.
Butiu said for this year, they will target directly the pregnant and lactating mothers especially career-oriented mothers or the working moms through series of symposium on breastfeeding.
“Our next plan is to go directly to mothers. We will conduct symposia and invite legitimate speakers on breastfeeding,” Butiu added.
Evelyn Gamurot, nutrition officer from Tarlac City said some working mothers do not know that they can actually feed their newborn babies without resorting to formula or commercial milk.
“They can actually breastfeed their babies through extraction of milk. They can keep and save it on bottle and put them inside refrigerator before they go to the office,” she said.
According to the Department of Health, breastfeeding is the best preventive intervention to save newborn babies as it contains anti-bodies that cannot be found in any formula milk.
Butiu said breastfeeding is also included among the ten 2012 Nutritional Guidelines for Filipinos.
“Exclusive breastfeeding is advised from birth up to six months then give appropriate complementary foods while continuing this for two years and beyond for optimum growth and development,” she stated.
By Jenna Lumbang
