The virtues of Internet technology shine bright, especially during this pandemic. The Internet has connected us to people, ideas and information in an indispensable manner.
While this has paved the way for many good things — the countless informative webinars being a case in point, there is also a downside.
There’s too much information out there, much of which is incorrect and inaccurate. To top that, there are the notorious WhatsApp forwards claiming to be the last word on best practices.
There’s something alluring about misinformation, which is why it tends to spread so fast. For instance, the misinformation about washing fruits and veggies with detergent/disinfectant spread like wildfire. Another concerning example is related to breastfeeding.
The marked decrease (40-50% drop) in the practice of breastfeeding in hospitals around the world is a disturbing sign.
The WHO has clarified that social distancing norms are not applicable in the case of mother and newborn, particularly in the context of breastfeeding.
In a recent assessment conducted by CARE in Bangladesh, it was observed that new mothers were very confident about their knowledge of breastfeeding during the pandemic, but it was all incorrect!
Forms of inaccurate information and ensuing malpractices related to breastfeeding have been found across countries.
The confusion began with whether the mother and newborn should remain together in the hospital after the delivery, because of the rapid influx of COVID patients. Then there was the fear that if the mother were to get infected, she could infect the baby by breastfeeding.
There was also a fear of the virus contaminating the breast milk.
Healthcare professionals have done their best to counter these fears, but the practice of breastfeeding remains under threat.
Separating the mother and child after birth has prevented skin-to-skin contact, but it has hampered the vital process of breastfeeding.
During the pandemic, the support that new mothers get from friends, family and lactation consultants is absent.
New mothers are also apprehensive about visiting clinics for regular checkups, hence losing the opportunity to receive correct information. It is believed that most doctors and nurses carry the virus, so the mother and child stay away.
Because the virus is new, it has taken some time to establish evidence. The good news is that there is no evidence of active COVID virus transmission through breastfeeding and breast milk.
Babies are born with an underdeveloped immune system, and it is through breast milk that they develop their initial immunity to fight the threats of pneumonia and diarrhoea. Mother’s milk provides all the essential nutrients that the infant requires until 6 months of age.
These benefits far outweigh the small risk of contracting the virus by being close to the mother who may be infected. The small risk can be further decimated when the mother follows mask hygiene and rigorous handwashing.
If breastfeeding as a practice is affected, the future of child health is grim. Now that the facts have been established, it is incumbent upon governments and NGOs to dispense the correct information.
Neelanjana Singh
Nutrition Therapist & Wellness Consultant