Until Bal Mandir (Nepal Children’s Organization) found Promise, an abandoned child with umbilical hernia, three months ago, no one had thought about breast-feeding babies of Bal Mandir in its 55-year-long history. Promise was found, deserted, in Imadol, Lalitpur by a local woman who took him to Patan Hospital immediately. He was around 20-day-old then.

 

 When Promise drank milk, it came right out of his nose. He kept getting fever, looked malnourished and he was not even three kilograms when he was two months, informs Bal Krishna Dangol, director of Bal Mandir. He adds, “When we discussed how we could improve his condition, breast-feeding came up as a potential solution as breast milk consists of all the nutrients a child needs. We thought this may also contribute to better physical and mental health of children here.”

 

 After the discussion on March 4 this year, Bal Mandir started its breast-feeding program under which 15 under-two children at the center in Kathmandu were to be breast-fed. “I consider it a child’s right,” says Dangol. There have since been problems.

 

'Nothing can substitute breast-milk, which increases child’s immunity and is easy to digest'

Pashupati Mahat, Senior psychologist

 

 “When I told my friend from Bhaktapur, he was shocked. ‘How can I send someone from my home to breast-feed someone else’s baby?’ he asked. He was concerned that women would feel shy and uncomfortable.” Dangol says that among Newars in particular there is a belief that if a small child touches another, even via the mother, then they will have the tendency to cry more, also known as ‘runchey lagney’. So some mothers don’t want to come. Others question why they should feed another child when they have their own. Some said transportation was a problem.

 

 “We are thinking of giving at least taxi fare and one full-meal to whoever comes to nourish the kids. A separate room has been set aside to ensure privacy,” informs Dangol. Only mother and child would be allowed in that room, which is equipped with all the necessary breastfeeding tools such as a portable gas heater, sanitizer, diapers, and a cot. The mother can bring her own child along if she so wishes.

 

 Right now, it has not been possible for Bal Mandir to feed breast milk to all the babies. Most of them still get Lactogen Formula-I and II.

 

 Dangol is now preparing a PowerPoint presentation for new mothers in other maternity centers and hospitals in order to convince them to breast-feed a child at Bal Mandir. Breast pumps may also be given to new mothers so that they can pump excess milk and store it for later use in Bal Mandir. “Ideally, we would have a new mother breast-feed a child here three times a week.”

 

 He expresses happiness that three such mothers have already been found. Anita Kumpakh, a mother of a 7-month-old, has been breast-feeding Promise at Bal Mandir since the start of the breastfeeding program. She shares, “My neighbors told me that my child might get sick if I breastfeed another child but I wanted to do it anyway. I am happy I can contribute to the healthy development of a child. My family has been supportive about it as well.”

 

 She usually visits Bal Mandir at around 12 pm and stays till 3 pm. She tries to go 2-3 times a week. “I have personally seen Promise grow healthier. When I started, he looked very frail.” She says that she would encourage other new mothers to follow suit.

 

 Pashupati Mahat, a senior psychologist who specializes in child and adolescent mental health, supports this program: “Mother’s milk is important not just for the physical development but also for the emotional wellbeing of a child.”

 

 Mahat claims that even when an alternate mother feeds a baby, the child feels attached to her. Studies show that this attachment in early years is critical and breastfeeding is one activity that helps with it. There are downsides if new mothers coming to Bal Mandir are in it only to make some money or get benefits. “Then they may feed in a hurry. The baby too gets irritated and starts crying and that can prove to be detrimental for the baby’s development.”

 

 Mahat adds that even though companies may claim their milk can substitute breast milk, it is not true. “Nothing can substitute breast-milk,” which increases child’s immunity and is easy to digest. “It has all the necessary nutrients a baby needs; plus, it is not contaminated”.

 

 Mahat says the alternate mother should spend with the baby at least three hours at a time, and at least three days a week. “Do it less frequently and the efficiency of the breast-feeding program may be compromised,” he cautions. If this program is successful in Kathmandu, Bal Mandir hopes to run it in all its 10 branches across Nepal.