One of the most persisting issues present in the world today is undernutrition, particularly among children. Improper and irregular feeding practices are one of the key causes of childhood undernutrition. Photo: Sumon Yusuf/icddr,b Broadly, it is characterised by stunting (low height for age), wasting (low weight for height), underweight (low weight for age) and micronutrient
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Breastfeeding is critical for neonates to curb dehydrating diarrhoea
Breastfeeding could be key to saving lives of neonates suffering from dehydrating diarrhoea, new icddr,b study suggests. Breastfeeding is known as a highly effective strategy for the prevention of infectious disease–related morbidity and mortality in infancy as well as in early childhood. The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF recommends early breastfeeding – the
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Why it is important mothers breastfeed within an hour of birth
One of the little known ‘superfoods’ for newborn babies is colostrum. It is a nutrient-rich fluid produced by women, expressed during the first feeding. It builds the baby’s immune system, and is packed with all the proteins, salts, fats, and vitamins and most importantly lactose which are all vital to a newborn’s growth. Given that
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Breast is best? icddr,b experts agree breastfeeding gives infants the best start
Around 29,000 children under the age of five will die every day from preventable causes. More significantly, a death will occur every 21 minutes. While this may seem to be a staggering statistic, the reality is that the current global infant mortality rate is at an all-time low. Between 2000 and 2016, the number of
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How far is Bangladesh from eliminating obstetric fistula?
For many women, giving birth is an astounding experience. However, for those in developing countries giving birth can also bring death or cause lifelong ill-health or morbidity due to unsafe conditions without proper medical attention. Globally, the true burden of maternal morbidity is unknown, however, it is estimated that for every maternal death, 20 to
