Hyderabad: 'World Breastfeeding Week' celebrated

Hyderabad: The 'World Breastfeeding Week' was celebrated by conducting a webinar by senior gynaecologist Dr Suma Prasad on the importance of breastfeeding and a panel discussion by eminent pediatricians from twin cities. The key take away message of the programme was that "Breast milk is Life-giving nectar that provides the infants with necessary antibodies, hormones, minerals, vitamins, growth components, enzymes and energy in the initial months of the baby which will sustain throughout the life."

Dr Suma Prasad, while presenting the webinar on 'Catching them Early – Essentials of Genetic Testing' ,highlighted the importance of screening for possible genetic disorders to couples planning children, and significance of carrying out genetic tests during pregnancy and in the early childhood to prevent any abnormalities in the later part of life and to ensure healthy children as assets to parents, society and to the nation as a whole.

Genome Foundation, a non-profit genetic diagnostic, counselling and research laboratory established by the late Dr Lalji Singh, former Director, CCMB, along with the Pediatric Academy of Telangana State (PATS) and Heart fulness Institute (HI) of India, has been scheduling a series of webinars on first 1,000 days of life for creating awareness for parents and elderly people, for the last three months. It evoked an overwhelming response from people of all sections.

Dr K P C Gandhi, founder-chairman of Truth Labs, who heads the foundation, explained its mission as to provide affordable and accessible genetic screening, testing, counselling, research and training and related services to all. He said many patients, families and clinicians from different specialisation were approaching the foundation with suspected abnormalities among children and in elderly patients suffering from known or unknown rare genetic diseases from the Telugu States. The services can be accessed through phone and WhatsApp (9704899766) and email (info@genomefoundation.in).