"Within a research, (it was found that) stunting will reduce two to three percent of a country's GDP (gross domestic product),” BKKBN official Irma Ardiana noted during the “1,000 HPK Nurturing Promotion” webinar on Wednesday.
"To this end, we need to bolster stunting prevention intervention programs," she said.
Parenting patterns implemented in a family can affect children's growth and therefore, it is very critical to take them into consideration.
To bolster the national priority project described within Presidential Regulation No. 72 of 2021 on stunting reduction acceleration, BKKBN is strengthening lactation promotion among mothers, especially working women from cities to villages.
This has been undertaken to create a conducive environment so mothers and infants can develop an intimate relationship and to ensure exclusive breastfeeding until children reach two years of age.
"According to the WHO’s (World Health Organization’s) recommendation, (breastfeeding should be done) until at least six months of age and can be continued until two years of age," Ardiana informed.
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Mothers must know that lactation, or breastfeeding, is affected by many variables, she stressed.
These variables include the frequency with which the mothers provide breast milk to their infants as well as their own nutritional intake, which affects how much breast milk is produced.
Other variables include signs of adequate breastfeeding, mothers' health during breastfeeding, and other issues that may cause problems during breastfeeding.
"We are providing education, dissemination to target groups, especially mothers who may be pregnant at the moment, future couples, and mothers who already have a child," Ardiana informed.
There is a real need for mothers to consider lactation management and techniques, especially during the first thousand days of a child’s life (HPK).
This is because, in the absence of optimal childcare and nutrition, children may be born stunted.
"The issue of stunting is not just a current national problem, but it also involves our future," she remarked.
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Translator: Hreeloita D S, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Suharto
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