Complementary Feeding Day at MRI | ඔබේ දරුවාට කෑම දෙන නිවැරදි ආකාරය දැන ගන්න ජුනි 24 වැනදා වෛද්‍ය පර්යේෂණ ආයතනයට එන්න

"We are willing to give something important to the society which will bring long-term benefits. One thing we have specifi­cally noticed is most of the babies who are born perfectly healthy start reducing their good health condition after six months, no sooner the complementary feeding is started. Complementary feeding practices are not strong enough in Sri Lanka since there are a tot of useless beliefs and myths. It is a huge obsta­cle which we have to get rid of."

"The critical peri­od of growth of a baby is during the first two years where their brain growth occurs. Brain growth could be badly affected by wrong feeding practices which could result in many negative outcomes. This directly affects the longer term growth and it could result in malnutri­tion which is really diffi­cult to reverse. To do so, there are a number of food items and combination of food which should be given in a very particular and perfect manner."

"We hope to conduct a very important pro­gramme, totally focusing on complementary feeding practices. We have done an island wide research on this and are willing to give its benefits to the people. We will hold complemen­tary feeding day on June 24 targeting to give a proper training to our medical officers, especially to the midwives who are very close to mothers as these  problems can be identified and to advo­cate and counsel them. And the other important thing is to make people aware of it via media.

Media has to play a vital rote, on the other hand we try to make people understand that the  wrong beliefs and myths of different communities are unneces­sary and unrealistic. We hope to educate them on what should and should not be done" 

Based on an interview wiith Dr.Renuka Jayatissa done by Nipuni Wimalapala