Mother’s milk is a baby’s first ‘natural vaccine’: Mandya Zilla Panchayat CEO
Describing mother’s milk as the “baby’s first and best food”, Mandya Zilla Panchayat CEO K.R. Nandini emphasised on the importance of initiating breastfeeding within the
Describing mother’s milk as the “baby’s first and best food”, Mandya Zilla Panchayat CEO K.R. Nandini emphasised on the importance of initiating breastfeeding within the first hour of birth, followed by exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, as essential for the child’s health, growth, and immunity. She was speaking after inaugurating the World Breastfeeding Week programme organised by the Mandya district administration, Mandya Zilla Panchayat and the Department of Health and Family Welfare in Mandya on the theme, ‘Prioritising Breastfeeding: Building Sustainable Support Systems’, on Tuesday (August 4).
Observing that World Breastfeeding Week creates greater public awareness about the importance of mother’s milk, Ms. Nandini said mother’s milk is the baby’s first natural vaccine. She added that till two years or beyond, breastfeeding should continue along with complementary food to aid a child’s overall development. Breastfeeding benefits not only the child’s health but also the mother’s, she said, adding that it strengthens the emotional bond between mother and child and helps reduce the risk of certain serious illnesses. Meanwhile, she said Mandya district had recorded a total of 14,464 deliveries during 2025-26 and all of them were institutional deliveries.
Of these, 14,438 live births were recorded, and all newborns were successfully breastfed within the first hour of birth. A milk bank has also been established in the district to assist newborns in need, she said. She noted that Health Department staff, ASHA workers, Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) and personnel from Primary Health Centres are conducting continuous door-to-door awareness campaigns for pregnant women and new mothers on the importance of breastfeeding. She appealed to family members, community leaders and the public to extend the necessary support and encouragement to mothers in raising healthy children, calling on everyone to treat breastfeeding as a shared responsibility of the family and society.
District Health and Family Welfare Officer K.C. Bettaswamy, Deputy Director of the Department of Women and Child Development Geetalakshmi C., and District Tuberculosis and AIDS Control Officer M.N. Ashalatha were also present at the event.
The BriefWire