Breastfeeding, timely vaccination crucial in baby’s first six months: Experts

Patna: Experts at a Healthy Baby Show organised on the Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) campus on Monday stressed breastfeeding for the first six months, timely vaccination, and age-appropriate complementary feeding thereafter. Doctors urged parents to prioritise children’s nutrition and overall health.

Addressing a gathering, former PMCH superintendent and director of Mahavir Vatsalya Hospital, Dr Rajiv Ranjan Prasad, asked parents to give complete attention to their children’s health. He also highlighted PMCH’s legacy, noting that the institution has produced doctors who have excelled across the country. Recalling Patna’s medical history, he said the country’s first heart disease institute, now known in Bihar as the Indira Gandhi Hriday Rog Sansthan, was established in the city.


Dr Prasad felicitated winners of the Healthy Baby Show. In the competition, five-month-old Aryan Kumar secured first position, followed by six-month-old Pari Kumar in second place. Other participants — Anvi, Ginni, Golu, Pawan Kumar, Parmanand, Priya and Ayush — were also honoured with medals.

PMCH principal Dr N P Singh said the programmes organised this year were well-conducted. He called for greater academic cooperation and advised students to sit beside teachers to gain knowledge.

Head of the paediatrics department at PMCH, Dr Hemant Kumar, said children should be given liquid food after six months of birth, while mother’s milk remains highly beneficial before that. He emphasised timely vaccination and discussed measures to keep children healthy.

Former head of the paediatrics department Dr Bhupendra Kumar, along with doctors including Chandan Kumar and Anil Kumar, and medical students, were also present at the event.