Specialists from the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) affirm that breast milk is the first vaccine that a newborn receives, by strengthening its immune system with antibodies that prevent diseases such as diarrhea, respiratory infections, dermatitis, diabetes, obesity, asthma and even leukemia, in addition to creating an emotional bond with his mother from the first hours of life.
Within the framework of the World Breastfeeding Week, which is celebrated from August 1 to 7, Dr. Octavio Alejandro Pérez Miguel, Head of Pediatrics at Hospital de Gíneco Obstetricia No. 4, stressed that the mother also benefits from practicing Breastfeeding, as it is associated with a lower risk of breast and ovarian cancer, as well as the possibility of avoiding diabetes and losing weight.
He pointed out that to promote exclusive feeding with breast milk up to six months of age among Social Security beneficiaries and working mothers, Social Security has more than 60 lactation centers in Family Medicine Units, Hospitals and administrative units, the latter for mothers IMSS workers.
She explained that the lactation room is a safe, private, hygienic and accessible space for breastfeeding women, where they can breastfeed their baby or adequately extract and store breast milk with the support of trained personnel, who deposit it in a Milk bank in order to provide this food to babies who are hospitalized.
Dr. Pérez Miguel explained that mothers who use lactation systems have various benefits such as reduced absenteeism from work, ease of going at different times, greater commitment to the workplace and satisfaction by being able to combine motherhood with employment.
He said that installing a lactation unit in a medical unit and even in companies or offices does not require extraordinary measures, just an adequate and private space for the mother, and trained personnel to support the extraction and storage of milk.
He stressed that despite the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic more than two years ago and the various pandemic waves that have arisen, the use of the lactation room and joint accommodation has continued, where it is promoted that the mother and the baby spend as much time as possible together and breastfeeding is reinforced.
He indicated that the available scientific evidence suggests that the Coronavirus is not transmitted through breast milk, but even so, regulations were established to avoid contagion in the lactation, such as the use of protective equipment by staff and patients, use of face masks and hand washing before touching the baby, expressing milk, among others.
The Head of Pediatrics of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital No. 4 indicated that in the case of the lactation of this High Specialty Medical Unit (UMAE), priority is given to babies born prematurely, since being a concentration hospital in the south of Mexico City and that provides care to several entities, every year they have a significant number of premature and low birth weight newborns, who receive the benefits of breast milk to improve their development.
Mrs. Anayeli Alonso is a user of the lactation unit of this UMAE because her baby was born prematurely and required to be admitted to an incubator, her daughter has not been able to receive breast milk directly and therefore she goes to the lactation unit where every day from on July 15, to receive support in expressing milk and accompaniment to answer your questions.
“The lactation room is a fabulous space for this situation, one is nervous because we do not go out with our baby and being able to have both the material and the space and disconnect from all the problems that we have on us, allows us to dedicate enough time to the extraction of milk and what it means to truly feed our babies from a distance”, he emphasized.
She thanked the professionalism and accompaniment of the Social Work and Nutrition staff who at all times support mothers with the necessary hygiene protocols and which allows them to provide breast milk to their children, in the hope that they will recover their health.
With information and RedFinancieraMX
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