INFANT PROTECTION. Mothers simultaneously breastfeed their infants during the Global Big Latch On at Iloilo Provincial Capitol in 2014. Adhara Sebuado, co-founder of non-government organization Breastfeeding Ilonggas, urged her fellow mothers to breastfeed infants up to six months as preventive practice against diseases like dengue. (Photo courtesy of Jun Rojas of Iloilo Photographic Society Global)
ILOILO CITY -- With the continuing rise of dengue disease in the province, a group of Ilongga mothers on Monday urged fellow mothers to breastfeed their infants for the first six months.
Breastfeeding is a preventive practice to combat rising numbers of diseases like dengue, said Adhara Sebuado, co-founder of Breastfeeding Ilonggas, a non-government organization (NGO) that supports and promotes breastfeeding.
“All mothers should practice breastfeeding especially in this generation that the diseases mutate, the virus and the bacteria are very aggressive. The mother can protect her child from aggressive illnesses through feeding the infant with human milk,” Sebuado said in an interview Monday.
Sebuado said the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends breastfeeding up to six months of age, with continued breastfeeding along with appropriate meals up to two years of age or beyond.
Only a handful of mothers, however, seem to able to breastfeed their children up to six months.
“If they exclusively breastfeed their child for this certain period of time, the more protection they will give to child. However, there are instances that hinder the mother to continue giving milk to the child,” she said.
Mothers feed their children with formula milk through feeding bottles in public places because breastfeeding in open spaces is not yet considered “normal” in today’s setting. This lessens the mother’s milk production, Sebuada said.
“Our goal is to normalize breastfeeding in the city and province of Iloilo,” she stressed.
In 2014, Breastfeeding Ilonggas were able to gather 52 mothers and babies in the Global Big Latch On “Hakab Na”, or the simultaneous breastfeeding, at the Iloilo Provincial Capitol.
Sebuado said the group gathered 378 participants in 2018.
“This year, we are targeting 500 participants,” she said.
The Global Big Latch On will again be spearheaded by Breastfeeding Ilonggas on August 3 at Robinson’s Mall in Pavia town.
She said the more people who will witness the simultaneous breastfeeding will “normalize” the practice.
“Therefore, more mothers will be encouraged to breastfeed and give their young the protection he or she needs,” she underscored. (PNA)
