New Delhi, 6 November (IANS). Every year ‘Infant Protection Day’ is celebrated on 7th November. The purpose of celebrating this day is to make people aware about the health and care of newborn children. This day is being celebrated every year since 1990 and it started in European countries. At that time, the infant mortality rate was very high, so it was important that parents were told how to take proper care of newborn babies so that their lives were safe.
Dr. Meera Pathak told IANS that after birth, many types of myths (misconceptions) about the child are spread in the society, due to which the child can be harmed.
Firstly, many people believe that it is good to feed honey to the baby immediately after birth, whereas it is extremely dangerous. Honey contains toxins that can cause infection in the baby’s intestines and sometimes even cause death, hence after birth only mother’s milk should be given, nothing else.
The second myth is that people apply ash, turmeric or ghee on the baby’s umbilical cord (umbilical cord). This should not be done. The ulna should always be kept clean and dry, because applying anything on it can cause infection.
The third myth is that mustard oil should be put in the child’s ears or nose to prevent cold or infection. In reality, this can cause ear, nose and lung infections in the child, and can even lead to chemical pneumonia.
The fourth myth is that the mother’s first yellow thick milk is dirty and should be thrown away, whereas this milk is the most nutritious and protective for the child. The antibodies present in it protect the child from diseases, hence it must be fed to him.
Another common belief is that in summer the child should be given water or Ghutti Pale, whereas this is absolutely wrong. Only mother’s milk should be given to the child for six months, it provides him both water and nutrition.
When a child has diarrhea, people say that he should stop feeding him anything so that his stomach can rest, but by doing this the child can become a victim of dehydration (lack of water). At such times, the child should be given mother’s milk or light liquids.
Apart from this, many people still apply Kajal or Surma in the eyes of the child so that the eyes look beautiful, but today’s Kajal contains chemicals, which can harm the child and can also cause ulcers in the eyes, so doing this should be completely stopped.
Some people believe that one should not bathe the child after vaccination or during fever, whereas the truth is that staying clean is always beneficial. Bathing provides relief to the child and reduces infection.
–IANS
PIM/DKP
