Acharya Mahaprajna
Shishu and Vriddha Svasthya
After birth, the child has the discretion to decide what he should do or not do or what he should eat or not eat in the interest of his health. In that state also the mother should be careful about what should be given to the child to eat or drink. Out of affection, she should not give him the thing to eat what should not be given. It is necessary to avoid both malnutrition and undernourishment. The problem is to find out what gives nourishment.
It is not within everyone's power to get nourishing food. There is the problem of poverty and want. How is it possible under these circumstances that everyone would get the nourishing food? In that case, one does not get enough nourishment. There is undernourishment and also malnutrition if the child is given to eat the things, which are not nourishing. This happens in the conditions for which social, economic and many other factors are responsible. But if the mother is alert and exercises discretion with regard to her responsibility, she would naturally become alert about the health of the child.
