Participants posing with the resource person Dr Sanuzolu.
Longleng, September 4 (MExN): The District Health Society of Longleng organized a two-day district-level training on Mothers Absolute Affection (MAA) at the CMO Conference Hall on September 3 and 4.
According to a press release by Angshom Chemdok, Media Officer of the CMO office, the training aimed to revitalize efforts to promote, protect, and support breastfeeding practices, while also improving care for mothers and newborns. The program focused on achieving optimal infant and young child feeding and nutrition.
Key topics covered during the training included breastmilk production and intake, assessing and observing breastfeeding, proper positioning of the baby during breastfeeding, addressing breast conditions, and expressing breastmilk. Special circumstances such as breastfeeding by mothers with HIV, twins, and low birth weight babies were also discussed, along with guidance for working mothers, the nutrition of lactating mothers, and hospital practices aligned with the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative.
The training emphasized the critical role of breastfeeding in child survival, noting that breastfeeding within the first hour of birth can prevent 20 percent of newborn deaths. Exclusively breastfed infants are 11 times less likely to die from diarrhea and 15 times less likely to die from pneumonia—two leading causes of death among children under five years old. However, recent data from the RSOC 2014 survey revealed that in India, only 44.6 percent of mothers initiate breastfeeding within one hour of birth, despite 78.7 percent delivering in institutions. Additionally, only 64.9 percent of babies are exclusively breastfed during the first six months.
The training was led by Dr. Sanuzolu, a pediatric specialist from the District Hospital, and was attended by 15 participants, including General Nurse Midwives (GNMs), Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) from Primary Health Centres (PHCs), Community Health Centres (CHCs) within Longleng District, as well as senior nurses and ANMs from the District Hospital Longleng.
