Thursday, August 14, 2008
Breast-fed babies have higher IQ: DOH
BABIES exclusively breast-fed for six months have higher IQ (Intelligence Quotient) and are more nourished than babies fed with infant formula, the Department of Health (DOH) said.
Thus, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Wednesday reiterated his appeal to all mothers to practice exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life as it show that colostrums in a mother's milk is rich in antibodies which provide protection against diarrhea, pneumonia and neonatal sepsis and improve a child's IQ.
Visit the Beijing Olympics 2008 blog
"A child who is breast-fed is a sure winner because he will have lower risk of malnutrition, diabetes, obesity, and cancer later in life, and will have 5-9 points higher IQ than formula-fed babies," said Duque during Wednesday's observance of the National Breastfeeding Month.
This year's theme, "Lahat Panalo sa Pagpapasuso," highlights the benefits of breastfeeding to babies, mothers, community and the environment.
The health chief also noted that the 2003 Lancet disclosed that the Philippines is one of the 42 countries worldwide accounting for 90 percent of under-five year old deaths, with 82,000 Filipino children dying before reaching their fifth birthday.
"The reduction of mortality by two-thirds in the under-five group is the country's 4th Millennium Development Goal," he said.
According to Duque, about 10,000 deaths could be prevented through improved breastfeeding alone, and that 16,000 deaths could be prevented through both exclusive breastfeeding until six months of age and appropriate complimentary feeding starting six months old.
"By increasing breastfeeding rates to 80 percent in the next 10 years, under-five mortality will be reduced to less than 29 per 1,000 live births," he added. (MSN/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Dumaguete. (August 14, 2008 issue)
Write letter to the editor. Click here. |
