Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Lapu-Lapu City 'compels' mothers to breast-feed babies
IN a bid to bring down the mortality rate of children below one year old and to fight malnutrition, Lapu-Lapu City is requiring mothers to breastfeed their children.
Those who can’t breastfeed their children will have to seek exemption from the City Health Department.
Mayor Arturo Radaza has ordered the Lapu-Lapu City Health Department to require mothers seeking exemption to submit a doctor’s certificate.
The City Council resolution, which was approved on mass last Feb. 6, made it compulsory for mothers to breastfeed their children until at least they are 6 months old.
Councilors approved the resolution after a 2006 survey showed that the city’s mortality rate for infants was at 13.36 percent of the 9,125 registered live births.
Of the 49,753 children aged 0 to 71 months old, 1,789 were below the normal weight of four kilos upon birth and ten kilos at 70 months old.
City Councilor Cornelio Pahang, a doctor and chairman of the council’s health committee, said health workers were ordered to regularly check hospitals, maternity clinics, and health centers for compliance with the resolution.
“Breastfeeding is also financially advantageous to families whose money for infant formula could be used for other needs,” the resolution said.
Pahang said a mother’s milk also strengthens the infant’s immune system. This, he said, is aside from the emotional attachment that is forged between a breastfeeding mother and her child. (AIV)
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