By: Dr. Huthaifa Kharrat

In Islam the child is blessed with outstanding care and solicitous concern. Many verses of the Qur’an as well as many ahadith speak to the importance of child care, stressing the seriousness of adopting good health habits, thus protecting the child from the many illnesses that may afflict the infant. The following are some of the important aspects of childhood health that is stressed in Islam.

Natural Breast Feeding
Among the verses of the Qur’an which encourage breast feeding are:

Surat Al-Baqarah verse 233
“Mothers may breastfeed their children two complete years for whoever wishes to complete the nursing [period]”.

Surat Al-Ahqaf verse 15
“His mother bears him with hardship. And she brings him forth with hardship, and the bearing of him, and the weaning of him [lasts] thirty months”.

Anas (may Allah be pleased on him) narrated the following from the Prophet (peace be upon him) “Verily there are two angels will continue breast feeding my child Abraham in paradise.”

Following the birth of the child the mother’s breast secretes a sticky yellowy substance known as Colostrum. It is rich in essential nutrients, proteins, minerals, vitamins and antibodies that benefit the child.

Soon after the flow of Colostrum the breast milk begins to flow. It brings with it a veritable harmacology of beneficial medicinal and disease preventive compounds for the child. Researchers and specialists in the field continue from time to time to uncover the remarkable benefits of natural breast feeding. Among these are:

i) Mother’s milk is considered the best nutrient for the nursing child. It is composed of a well-balanced blend of ingredients that are far superior to any of the prevailing commercially available brands of baby formula.

ii) The mother’s milk is always fresh, of moderate temperature and sterile, thus making it a perfect meal and ideally suited to the digestive system of the infant child.

iii) There is no other milk that is as easily ingested and digested as mother’s milk. Not surprising we see a number of complaints of mothers with colicky babies and digestive sensitivities after giving their child artificial infant formula.

iv) Unlike artificial baby formula, mother’s milk will not provoke any allergic reactions. Indeed quite the opposite. It protects the child from infantile allergies that can lead to asthma or inflammation of the nose or the digestive tract.

v) Natural breast feeding reduces the incidence of Rickets and other skeletal malformations due to its rich vitamin D content.

vi) Mother’s milk also contains more iron than is found in artificial baby formula thus protecting the child from anemia.

vii) It is also well-known that natural breast feeding will ensure the health of the child’s teeth. Tooth pain and tooth malformations are a common symptom of the child who is deprived of mother’s milk.

viii) The mother’s milk is rich in natural antibodies. These give natural protection from infantile diseases such as inflammation of the digestive tract, inflammation of the inner ear, diarrhea, blood poisoning (Septicimia) and many others.

ix) And finally the act of natural breast feeding strengthens the relationship between the mother and child. This leads to stronger bonding and an increased and long term sense of intimacy. The child thus feels more secure, well protected and confident. It is less likely to experience any psychological stresses or disorders in later life.

Premastication
Premastication is considered one of the most important features of Islam which contribute to the well-being and health of the infant child. Recent advances in the Medical Sciences have confirmed the value of this guidance received from the Prophet (peace be upon him). This practice contributes to the health of the child by strengthening the child’s immunity. Premastication was not known among the pre-Islamic Arab peoples. There are many reliable hadith that emphasize the importance placed on this practice by the Prophet (peace be upon him) for the health of the child.

Aiysha (may Allah be pleased with her) relates the following: “Some infantswere presented to the Prophet (peace be upon him). He blessed them and offered them some premasticated food”

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) relates the following:

“The Messenger of God (peace be upon him) once asked me – ‘Do you have a date?’ Yes I answered and offered Him some dates. He took them in His mouth and began to chew them. Then He placed them on the lips of the child and the child began to smack its lips and chew them”.

Recent studies in pediatric research have demonstrated the dangers caused by reduced blood sugar levels in the new born infant. This adverse condition is the cause of many symptoms such as rejection of the breast, muscular atrophy and spasms, apathy and difficulty breathing.

When the blood sugar remains low for an extended period of time the child may be afflicted by more severe debilitations such as stunted growth, underdeveloped intelligence, Cerebral Palsy, weak eyesight and hearing, and epilepsy.

The important preventative procedure in hospitals throughout the world for low blood sugar is to offer a sugar rich formula to the child immediately following birth. The infant then proceeds to nurse at the mother’s breast.

We have already mentioned how the truth of the guidance about premastication of dates given by the Prophet (peace be upon him) has been demonstrated by recent research. It therefore behooves us at this point to draw our attention to the practice of the Messenger (peace be upon him) of putting dates on the child’s lips immediately after birth.

Recent medical research has uncovered the reasons behind wisdom of this practice. The saliva of the older care-giver, the one who chews the dates transforms the more complex sugar of the dates, known as fructose, into a simpler form of sugar called glucose. This simpler form is more easily digested and metabolized by the digestive system of the infant. The benefits are soon apparent as the body is protected from the aforementioned adverse conditions.

Shaving the hair of the Child
There are many hadith that recommend shaving the hair of the infant. It is narrated by Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) once said:

“Shave the child’s hair and offer the equivalent weight in silver as charity”

Shaving off the hair of the newborn infant is considered an effective treatment, preferable to medicines, for conditions and illnesses that effect the baby’s head. This practice is an effective form of hygiene. It removes the accumulated secretions that adhere to the body of the child immediately after birth. It is well known that these secretions are the cause of inflammations and infections of the scalp, the proliferation of bacteria, and the spread of infections to other parts of the body such as to the eyes and ears. Shaving the head of the child also stimulates the flow of healthy oils from the sweat glands of the head, and promotes the growth of new hair from the hair follicles, and strengthens the health of the existing hair.