Jagannath Chatterjee

Health & Civil SocietyHEALTH: “a complete state of physical, mental and

social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” – WHO (Disease maintenance with drug dependence is not health)

Civil society should play watchdog and mediation role. Ensure real health is achieved. Audit all interventions for safety & effectiveness. Ensure public satisfaction. Protect public from vested interests.

Public not aware of all facets of medicine. Procedures are carried out without informing public about pros and cons. Civil society must ensure informed consent and transparency

Reduction in health expenditure, promotion of non medical interventions, promoting healthy habits and lifestyles is important. Health is responsibility of an aware and informed individual who is empowered with knowledge to achieve it

Advocacy of increased state investment in clean water, sanitation, nutrition, hygiene, housing and poverty eradication is the role of civil society

In case of deficiency in delivery, civil society should ensure justice and compensation

Ensuring Child Health Civil society should ensure that morbidity and

not mortality alone should be the indicator of child health

Civil society must ensure the return of common sense measures in achieving child health

Civil society must keep itself abreast of latest scientific findings in the field of child health

Children are the future of our society. They have a right to good health. This should not be confused with access to drugs and other procedures. All that glitters may not be gold

Benefits of natural child birth, home birth, delayed cord clamping, delaying washing, early and prolonged breastfeeding (up to and beyond 2 years) , are what medical scientists are increasingly recommending

Vital QuestionsRole of civil society is to question established mass

procedures particularly as children are falling prey to serious chronic disorders in frightening numbers

Can unhealthy mothers deliver healthy children?Interventions during pregnancy, which methods or

system to adopt?What procedures are to be questioned? Have we enough

knowledge about mass procedures?What can be the role of AYUSH during pregnancy,

childbirth, infancy and childhood?Contraceptive pills, repeated abortions, under nourished

and malnourished mothers, poverty, unnecessary caesarians. Are they obstacles to a healthy childhood?

Can we compromise on the subject of child health?Do childhood illnesses have a role in long term health of a

child?Are we doing enough to protect infants and children from

toxicity?Do we have enough knowledge about common childhood

interventions being recommended in increasing numbers?

Contraceptive Pill, Repeated Abortions & Future Pregnancy"The one reason for coming off the Pill, at least three months before

trying to conceive is that it can cause you to become deficient in a number of important nutrients including magnesium, vitamins B1, B2, B6, vitamin E, folic acid (crucial in preventing spina bifida) and zinc (the most important nutrient for fertility).“ – Dr Marilyn Glenville, UK’s leading nutritionist

The powerful hormones could upset the reproductive system for months - or even years - after women stop taking it. Women who have used the Pill are twice as likely to have problems conceiving later. The powerful hormones could upset the reproductive system for months - or even years - after women stop taking it. - Study, led by gynaecologist Stephen Killick at Hull Royal Infirmary, UK on more than 2,200 women, Jan 2004

Repeated abortions can make future pregnancies problematic – study. Women who had three or more were up to three times more likely to have a future baby early – even before 28 weeks in the womb – and of a poor weight. Those who had two abortions before their first child also had a greater chance of giving birth prematurely. Babies who are born early, particularly by three months or more, and with a low weight often need special hospital care to ensure their survival. - Dr Reija Klemetti, of the National Institute for Health and Welfare in Helsinki, Journal, Human Reproduction, Aug 2012

Benefits of Natural ChildbirthVaginal birth exposes child to mother’s

microbiome. In mouse study published in Journal of Immunology, 2014. This can prevents autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes, Chrohn's disease and allergy, says study

Children who came into the world by Cesarean section are more often affected by allergies than those born in the natural way. The reason for this may be that they have a less diverse gut microbiota, according to a new study. - Scientific journal Gut, with Anders Andersson of the KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Science for Life Laboratory as the senior author. 

The Basics of Pregnancy DietNatural diet to be preferred over supplementsA whole foods selection is the basis of a good pregnancy

diet. Protein forms the building blocks of your baby and is a solid foundation to build a pregnancy diet on. Meats and beans (legumes) are excellent sources of protein. Milk and eggs are packed with protein, vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats. Organ meats every week (especially liver and shellfish) are very beneficial to you and your baby and contain lots of good proteins, fats, iron, and other nutrients.

Milk, cheese, yogurt, kefir – these are all nourishing to you and your baby. Look for a source of clean raw milk. It should come from clean, happy cows living on grass. Raw milk is nourishing and wonderful – just like raw human breastmilk. 

Fats are good for you – traditional fats.  Use olive oil, coconut oil, and palm oil. Use butter. Eat your veggies with butter. Cod liver oil has been shown beneficial (and safe) during pregnancy and lactation.  It is fat that builds your baby’s brain.Going low-fat deprives your child nourishment he or she vitally needs for brain development. 

Benefits of delayed cord clamping“There is now considerable evidence that early

cord clamping does not benefit mothers or babies and may even be harmful." - Dr Andrew Weeks, Senior lecturer in obstetrics , School of Reproductive and Developmental Medicine at the University of Liverpool. BMJ, 2007

He also cites research which shows that at the time of the first breath, blood is drawn into the lungs from the umbilical vein which can have benefits for iron status and haemoglobin levels in the newborn baby, and the author states that this has impact on the risk of anaemia.

Benefits of delayed washingThorough drying, direct skin-to-skin contact

immediately upon delivery and covering with a blanket and bonnet (prior to cord clamping) mitigate this threat (of hypothermia) (9,10).

Drying also stimulates breathing. Sustained skin-to-skin contact also initiates colonization of the newborn with maternal flora (as opposed to hospital flora) and facilitates olfactory learning, successful intake of colostrum and sustained breastfeeding (11,12).

Bathing not only exposes newborns to hypothermia, but also removes maternal bacteria and the vernix caseosa (a potent inhibitor of Escherichia coli) (13), and eliminates the crawling reflex (14).

Acta Paediatr. 2011 Aug; 100(8): 1127–1133.“Immediate newborn care practices delay

thermoregulation and breastfeeding initiation”

Benefits of early and extended breastfeedingThe World Health Organization (WHO) officially

recommends mothers breastfeed until three years of age. Even the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends mothers should breastfeed "at least until one year of age and then as long as baby and mother mutually want to.“

Extended breastfeeding reduces the risk of uterine, ovarian and breast cancers. Breastfeeding women also have a lower incidence of osteoporosis later in life. – Dr William Sears

Early breastfeeding ensures vital colostrum (first yellow breast milk) for the infants immune system. Ceasarians may prevent early breastfeeding.

Breast milk – The only Immunity

Vaccines – 200 adverse effects. http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/200-evidence-based-reasons-not-vaccinate-free-research-pdf-download

Immunity – More than antibodies