Susu Formula Ancam Bayi Korban Merapi-balita sehat ceria

Posted: 16 Nov 2010 11:27 PM PST

TEMPO Interaktif, Jakarta - Susu formula ancam gantikan kebutuhan air susu ibu (ASI) pada bayi di posko pengungsian korban letusan Merapi. Ikatan Bidan Indonesia dan Departemen Kesehatan mengutus sejumlah konselor ASI mendampingi para ibu menyusui di posko pengungsian sejak akhir bulan lalu.

"ASI akan terus diproduksi selama ibu menyusui bayinya. Faktanya, ibu menyusui diberi paket susu formula untuk bayi," kata Penasehat Ikatan Bidan Indonesia, Hubertin Sri Purwanti, saat dihubungi, Rabu (17/11).

Sejak 28 Oktober lalu, Sri bersama 5 bidan lainnya mengunjungi sejumlah posko pengungsian. Ratusan bayi, balita, dan ibu menyusui umumnya bercampur dengan pengungsi lainnya.

Jadwal makan dan menu makanan untuk balita dan ibu menyusui pun cenderung sama dengan pengungsi lain. Menurut dia, balita, bayi, dan ibu menyusui harus dikelompokkan dalam tempat khusus. Sehingga, kebutuhan makanan dan ASI terpenuhi secara optimal.

Sejumlah ibu menyusui yang ditemui di posko pengungsi khawatir produksi ASI berkurang karena cemas dan lelah. Para konselor, ujar dia, memotivasi para ibu agar terus memberikan ASI agar produksi ASI tetap optimal.

"Kami juga memberikan kepercayaan pada ibu bahwa dalam kondisi apa pun tetap dapat menyusui sehingga tidak terjadi putus ASI. Karena tak ada makanan pengganti yang sebaik ASI bagi bayi," katanya.

Pemisahan kelompok balita, bayi, dan ibu menyusui awalnya hanya ada di posko Girikerto dan Purwobinangun. Saat ini, pengelompokkan itu juga dilakukan di Stadion Maguwoharjo yang menampung ribuan pengungsi.

Menurut Hubertin, makanan dan minuman tambahan harus disediakan untuk balita dan ibu menyusui. Makanan ringan seperti biskuit dan roti isi pun harus terus tersedia untuk memenuhi kebutuhan kalori para ibu menyusui. "Kalau terjadi putus menyusui, maka ASI tidak akan berproduksi lagi. Akibatnya, kebutuhan bayi akan ASI terancam," ujarnya.

Ibu yang menderita demam, kata dia, tetap dapat menyusui. Alasannya, tubuh ibu memproduksi kekebalan alami yang terkandung dalam ASI. Sehingga, bayi yang disusui tak akan tertular penyakit ibunya.

Sri dan konselor ASI lainnya mendatangi posko pengungsi di Glagaharjo, Umbulharjo, Purwobinangun, Girikerto, dan Hargobinangun. Sedangkan, Departemen Kesehatan mengutus 8 orang konselor ASI ke Lembug Rejo, Sumber Rejo, Catur Harjo, dan Rusmanda. Para konselor ASI melayani konseling menyusui serta penyuluhan massal di 11 titik pengungsian dengan materi ASI, Pola Hidup Bersih Sehat, dan Kesehatan Lingkungan.

KURNIASIH BUDI

The Foundation for Mother and Child Health - India, Indonesia ...

Posted: 16 Nov 2010 05:41 AM PST

Children are the future of a nation

The Foundation for Mother and Child Health (FMCH) works to improve the lives of mothers and children in local communities by providing programmes focused on health, nutrition, education, and sustainable skills training. A not-for-profit independent organization, we work with socially and/or financially disadvantaged communities regardless of their race, creed or gender.

Our aim is to help children reach their potential by alleviating poverty and malnutrition. Children who are malnourished have lowered resistance to infection and are more likely to die from common childhood ailments such as diarrhoeal diseases and respiratory infections. Those who survive may be locked into a vicious cycle of recurring sickness and faltering growth, often with irreversible damage to their cognitive and social development. Undernutrition is an underlying cause of an estimated 53% of all under five year old deaths (UNICEF Report card on Nutrition May 2006).

The problem of malnutrition in children goes hand in hand with a lack of disposable income within a family, poor knowledge of basic nutrition and hygiene practices and poor access to medical help, clean water and decent accommodation. All these factors play a part in this cycle of deprivation.

The Foundation for Mother and Child Health runs a mother-and-child centre assisting impoverished families in urban Jakarta. The centre currently provides health, hygiene and nutrition education for mothers and community health workers; access to medical care for both mothers and children; Early Childhood learning, intensive supplementary feeding programmes and growth monitoring for young children; and skills training for mothers.

The Foundation also runs a mobile health unit in Jakarta, allowing our experienced health educators, pre school teachers and sewing teachers to travel to other low income areas in Jakarta to work with other needy families.

Similar programmes for mothers and children have been set up in Mumbai, India, and programmes set up in Aceh after the tsunami of 2004 in Aceh, have now been successfully completed.

In late 2008, FMCH started implementing its health, nutrition, education and small skills training programme on the remote island of West Timor, also in Indonesia. Working in three remote villages, recent statistics this year show that 65% of all under five year old children from these villages are underweight. An enormous number.

In 2009, The Foundation for Mother and Child Health started working with refugee women from Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran and Chechnya in Azerbaijan. These women, fleeing war, poverty or persecution, are desperate to keep their families’ together whilst waiting to be resettled in other countries.

Replicating ideas from FMCH in Indonesia, we have started a successful micro finance scheme enabling women to buy sewing machines which they then use to make garments and other items.

Now, in 2010, FMCH has started working in partnership with “The Orchid Project” – which aims to help empower girls and women. At the heart of The Orchid Project is a campaign to help end female genital mutilation (FGM) and allow girls and women to reach their full potential. This is possible within the next generation and The Orchid Project works with local, national and international organisations who, together, can end FGM.

To find out more about FGM and The Orchid Project please click here.

Through provision of all our programmes, the Foundation for Mother and Child Health brings together women and children from very different cultural, geographical and religious backgrounds, who in normal circumstances may never have met. We encourage understanding and tolerance of others in all our programmes. And in these troubled times this is of great importance.

Website last updated November 2010