Child Health and Diseases Specialist Dr. Zeliha Küçüktaş stated that breast milk is the first vaccine for babies and asked mothers to breastfeed their babies.
Dr. Zeliha Küçüktaş stated that approximately 1 million 300 thousand babies are born every year in Turkey and although 95 percent of mothers start breastfeeding their babies, the breastfeeding rate has decreased due to various reasons.
Dr. Küçüktaş made the following call to mothers and expectant mothers: "The first 2 years of life are the period when growth and development are most rapid. The effects of proper nutrition during this period appear in the following years. As recommended by the World Health Organization, it is very important to give babies only breast milk for the first six months." "It is important. We also recommend that children continue breastfeeding until they reach the age of 2. Breast milk is also the first vaccine that protects the baby against diseases."
Thanks to the 'Breast Milk Promotion and Baby-Friendly Hospitals' program of the Ministry of Health, the rate of mothers who exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months was 30 percent in 2003, and this rate reached 40 percent in 2009. Küçüktaş continued as follows: "The risk of breast cancer is lower in breastfeeding mothers. Allergies, obesity, diabetes, cancer, nervous system diseases such as multiple sclerosis and tooth decay are less common in breastfed babies in later years, and breast milk is free."
Emphasizing that breast milk is a food whose biological advantages cannot be imitated even though it is chemically imitated, Küçüktaş said, "The survival of the baby, its physical and mental development, protection from diseases, mental health, the health of the mother, the economic development of the family and society, the environment, "For health reasons, breastfeeding should be supported and encouraged," he said.
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