A society’s future depends on the presence of healthy individuals. For children to be born and raised healthy, mothers must be educated about the importance of adequate and balanced nutrition and maintaining their health during pregnancy and lactation, as these periods involve fetal development, milk production, and increased nutritional needs.
The most suitable food for a newborn is breast milk. Breast milk is an irreplaceable nutrient due to its ability to ensure a baby’s health, meet all nutritional requirements, be easily digestible, and protect against infections. For the first 6 months, a newborn should be given only breast milk.
Benefits of Breast Milk
It is always sterile and at an ideal temperature.
Its nutrient composition meets the baby’s needs.
It contains protective factors.
It includes active enzymes that aid digestion (e.g., lipase for fat digestion).
It contains elements that prevent infections.
It includes hormones and growth factors.
Babies who receive breast milk have fewer respiratory and gastrointestinal infections.
Breastfeeding reduces the risk of otitis media (middle ear infections).
Breast milk supports jaw and tooth development.
It reduces the risk of certain chronic diseases (e.g., type 1 diabetes, celiac disease, obesity, coronary heart disease).
It protects against allergies and diaper rash.
It supports the baby’s emotional, physical, and mental development.
It is cost-effective and requires no preparation.
It strengthens the emotional bond between mother and baby, fostering a loving relationship.
It protects the mother’s health. Breastfeeding mothers have a reduced risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, osteoporosis, and anemia. Breast milk helps the uterus return to its pre-pregnancy state and protects the mother from excessive blood loss.
The most important key to successful breastfeeding is the mother’s self-confidence.
Signs of a Healthy Baby
Relaxes when held.
Makes different sounds for happiness, discomfort, or hunger.
Responds to sounds by listening and looking.
Lifts and turns their head when lying face down.
Moves right and left arms and legs equally.
Keeps hands mostly open.
Looks at the face of the person in front of them and follows their movements.
Smiles back and responds playfully.
How Can You Support Your Baby’s Development?
After being in the womb, adjusting to the outside world takes time. Your baby will explore it with you, recognizing your scent, voice, and face.
Your loving care—responding to their cries, soothing their distress, and holding them—builds trust that you’ll comfort them, teaching them they can connect with you when needed.
From birth, they see and hear you, turn toward you, express themselves through crying, and make various sounds.
Talking face-to-face, repeating their sounds, and singing lullabies or songs will encourage speech development.
They want to explore the world and have much to learn. Discovering their hands is the start of reaching. Since their mouth is their most sensitive tool for exploration, letting their hands be free and not preventing them from safely mouthing objects aids learning.
They try to lift their head to see around and strengthen their back to sit up.
Carrying them in your arms/on your back, supporting their head and waist with pillows for semi-sitting, and allowing tummy time when awake to strengthen their back will support them.
What Is Child Health Monitoring?
It is the assessment of whether babies, children, and adolescents aged 0-18 are in a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being.
Why Is Child Health Monitoring Important?
Monitoring helps protect the health of babies, children, and adolescents aged 0-18, reducing and preventing diseases, disabilities, and deaths in this age group.
Should I Take My Baby to the Family Physician Even If They’re Not Sick?
Yes, even if your baby/child isn’t sick, you should take them to your family physician at scheduled intervals based on periods of rapid growth and development to ensure monitoring and support.
When Should I Take My Baby to the Family Physician? What Are the Monitoring Times?
Under the Baby, Child, and Adolescent Monitoring Program conducted by our Ministry, the mandatory minimum monitoring times and intervals to be performed by family physicians are as follows:
Baby Monitoring Times
Monitoring: At birth (in the hospital)
Monitoring: Within the first week after birth (days 1-10)
Monitoring: Day 15 (days 11-29)
Monitoring: Day 41 (days 30-59)
Monitoring: 2nd month (days 60-89)
Monitoring: 3rd month (days 90-115)
Monitoring: 4th month (days 120-150)
Monitoring: 6th month (days 180-210)
Monitoring: 9th month (days 250-290)
Breast Milk and Breastfeeding Counseling
Breast milk has numerous positive effects on both baby and maternal health. Globally, over one million children each year contract diarrhea, respiratory infections, and other illnesses due to not being breastfed. Common issues for new mothers include difficulty breastfeeding, baby weight loss, rising jaundice, breast refusal, breast engorgement, nipple cracks, and mastitis (breast abscess). Many mothers stop breastfeeding due to breast problems and start formula early. Though this process is natural, mothers may need help. Breastfeeding mothers require confidence, encouragement, and support. This support should come from an experienced hospital staff member trained in breastfeeding observation. Preventing breastfeeding problems before they arise is the most fundamental protective approach. Thus, breast milk and breastfeeding counseling should begin prenatally. If breastfeeding issues occur postpartum, seeking counseling as early as possible—while the baby is still young—is key to resolution. When mothers receive breastfeeding support, breastfeeding continuity is better maintained.
Counseling Includes:
Educating new mothers on breastfeeding and milk supply enhancement techniques.
Supporting mothers with breastfeeding difficulties.
Teaching what to do for nipple cracks and breast engorgement.
Observing how mothers with babies not gaining weight despite breastfeeding are nursing.
Advising on what to do when babies refuse the breast.
Supporting mothers of low-birth-weight or premature babies.
Guiding mothers on breastfeeding adopted children or resuming breastfeeding after a break.
Informing working mothers about milk expression and storage.
A Breast Milk and Breastfeeding Counselor:
Educates all pregnant women past their 32nd week about breast milk and breastfeeding.
Assesses mother-baby pairs with breastfeeding issues, identifies problems, and adjusts feeding.
Closely follows up with mothers and babies receiving counseling.
Provides breastfeeding education to every mother post-delivery.
Visits every breastfeeding mother, conducts breast exams, assesses their breastfeeding practices, and explains techniques, frequency of feeding, and maternal nutrition.