DADELDHURA: Though Bigauti (solid foodstuff obtained from well-cooked milk) is the most nourishing diet for infants, many mothers in the district are known to refrain from breastfeeding their child.

Infants should be breastfed eight times a day till they reach the age of six months. However, only around two per cent of lactating mothers are known to breastfeed their child. Many lactating mothers do not breastfeed due to ignorance, while others forgo the ritual to protect their physical beauty. More than 10 NGOs have been working for maternity care in the district, but child care has hardly seen any improvement.

The mothers living in the remote areas of the district mistakenly believe that infants cannot digest Bigauti milk. This is because of the lack of knowledge about maternal health care, the health workers said. Dr Jivan Chhetry of Dadeldhura District Hospital said most of the kids in the remote areas were malnourished as a result.