BREASTFEEDING AND AYURVEDA: A REVIEW STUDY

*Vd. Babita B. Mandal and Vd. Vijaykumar U. Gawai

ABSTRACT

Adequate nutrition is one of the fundamental needs of a New-born baby. As like other mammals’ human baby is also born with a readymade food supply of its own and therefore breastmilk is an ideal natural and complete food for a Neonate. Breast milk is uniquely species specific as well as baby specific also. Biochemical composition of human milk is adopted as per the need of their offspring. It contains all the nutrients suited to serve the nutritional and biological need of the baby for their normal growth and development. The health and survival of the New-born depends upon the health status of the mother and her awareness, education and skills in Mothercraft. And breastfeeding is the best way to care for neonates. Besides all these advantages there are so many challenges in breast feeding practices which can be overcome by proper guidance and treatment. Importance of breastfeeding is described by both Ayurveda and modern science in detail. Acharyas has mentioned formation of stanya (breast milk), causes of stanya pravritti (milk ejection), properties of stanya, stanya dushti lakshan (properties of vitiated milk), dhatri (wet-nurse), dhatri pariksha (examination), stanapan-vidhi (breastfeeding), stanasampat (merits of breast), stanya-nasha hetu (causes of cessation of milk formation), stanyavriddhi dravyas (galactagogues), stanyapanay (weaning), abnormalities of breast milk and its treatment in detail. This paper helps to explain the importance of breastfeeding with modern and ayurvedic aspects.

Keywords: Stanya, Breastfeeding, Stanya dusti, Dhatri, Stanasampat, Stanya nash, Stanyapanay.