Makassar, Sulawesi – The National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN) conducts a more extensive outreach on topic of breastfeeding (ASI) to prevent stunting in children.

“The use of breastfeeding must be supported by the family, so that children will be healthy and prevented from stunting,” Deputy for Training, Research and Development at National Population and Family Planning Agency Muh Rizal Martua Damanik said in Luwu District, South Sulawesi, on Sunday.

He also urged for the Family Planning Counselor Team (TPK) for Stunting Reduction (PPS) as well as the management of the Family Welfare Team at the sub-district and village levels continue to educate people as to encourage mothers to breastfeed their children.

Stunting is a condition in which children fail to grow and to develop well due to chronic malnutrition, which is in the long term in the first 1000 Days of Life period, causing their height to be shorter than children of their age, he detailed. Because of that, he continued, society must pay attention to the golden period of  children which begin since the fertilization during pregnancy; thus, during pregnancy, mothers need to get balanced nutritional intake and provide stimulation according to the stages of fetal growth and development.

He further added that the First 1000 Days of Life consists of 270 days of pregnancy and 730 days after giving birth, or until the child is two years old.

This period is a crucial time for children’s growth and development, because their organs —including the brain— will develop rapidly during this period, so it is necessary to provide complete and balanced nutrition to support best growth and development.

After the child is born, the mother must provide exclusive breastfeeding to the baby for six consecutive months without any other additional food.

“This is one way to prevent stunted growth,” he reminded. He opined that the nutritional content in breast milk was the most complete and most suitable for the baby’s stomach, thus it was enough to meet the nutritional needs of babies at the age of six months.

But in current era, there were many reasons for mothers to not give exclusive breastfeeding to their babies so that the role of a father is needed in exclusive breastfeeding, he remarked.

“Breastfeeding is nutritious, practical, and economical food for babies, so it doesn’t cost anything,” Damanik said.

Source: Antara News