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awareness

Every year, World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated around the world from 1st to 7th of August to encourage breastfeeding and improve children’s health. You! takes a look...

We often come across advertisements on television or huge billboards across the city of formula milk for infants that claim to be as nutritious as mother's milk. But truth be told, it doesn't contain half the amount of nutrients. The sad part is that many mothers opt for formula milk instead of breastfeeding. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) exclusive breastfeeding is recommended for the first six months because it helps babies' immune systems. Also, breastfeeding should form part of a baby's diet up to two years old or beyond.

A research shows that if almost every mother breastfed her children it could prevent more than 800,000 child deaths a year. Children who are breastfed for longer have higher IQs, lower death rates and less risk of infection than those who are breastfed for shorter periods or not at all, the research found. For the baby, breast milk may also protect against diabetes and obesity later in life, while for mothers breastfeeding can help with birth spacing, protect against breast cancer and may reduce the risk of ovarian cancer and Type 2 diabetes. Despite these proven benefits, however, only 37% of children - aged six months and under - in lower- and middle-income countries are exclusively breastfed. Another study shows that an additional 22,000 annual deaths (of mothers) from breast cancer could be prevented if breastfeeding continued up to two years of age in lower- and middle-income countries, and up to 12 months in higher-income countries.

Keeping the importance of breastfeeding for both the mother and child, World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) is observed every year from 1st to 7th August all over the globe to encourage breastfeeding and improve the health of babies around the world. 2017 is World Breastfeeding Week's 25th year and the theme is 'Sustaining Breastfeeding Together'.

The message

Last year's Breastfeeding Week's message by UNICEF's Executive Director, Anthony Lake and WHO's Director General, Margaret Chan clearly reveal that breastfeeding is not only the cornerstone of a child's healthy development; it is also the foundation of a country's development. The message states: "Breastfeeding is one of the most effective - and cost-effective - ways to save and improve the lives of children everywhere, yielding lifelong health benefits for infants and their mothers. In fact, supporting breastfeeding is one of the smartest investments countries can make in the wellbeing of their citizens - and thus, in their own long-term strength. In low-, middle- and high-income countries alike, the benefits for individuals, families and societies include ending preventable child deaths, improving maternal and child health, boosting educational attainment, and increasing productivity. Breastfeeding is one of the keys to reducing under-five mortality. It also improves long-term health, decreasing the risk of non-communicable diseases, including childhood asthma and obesity. It can reduce the chance of diabetes and heart disease later in life."

How did it all start?

The idea of World Breastfeeding Day came about at the basement of UNICEF office on 14 Feb 1991. However, WBW was first celebrated in 1992 by World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) and is now observed in over 120 countries by UNICEF, WHO and their partners including individuals, organizations, and governments. WABA itself was formed on 14th of February 1991 with the goal to re-establish a global breastfeeding culture and provide support for breastfeeding around the globe. Moreover, World Breastfeeding Week commemorates the Innocenti Declaration made by WHO and UNICEF in August 1990 to protect and support breastfeeding and to promote the comprehensive breastfeeding culture worldwide by providing the support to achieve the goal.

Advantages of breastfeeding

Breast milk is the best nutrition you can offer your newborn. It is especially designed to cater to all your child's nutritional needs in the first six months of life. For the first 2-4 days of your baby's life, your breasts will secrete colostrum, a yellowish fluid rich in proteins. These valuable proteins are essential for the development of a healthy immune system. The protein found in colostrum is easily digested and absorbed by the baby's body, especially the rapidly developing brain. Children who are breastfed have an increased resistance to infections and there is a decreased risk of allergies and lactose intolerance. Breast milk is sterile and breastfeeding promotes the proper development of baby's jaw and teeth. Besides, breastfeeding is quite beneficial for the mother as well. Mothers who breastfeed tend to lose weight and achieve their pre-pregnancy figure more easily than mothers who bottle feed. Also they are less likely to develop breast cancer later in life.

 

Mother’s milk vs formula milk

• Mother's milk contains both saturated and unsaturated fats, as well as cholesterol, an important constituent of brain and nerve tissue. The fat in breast milk is more digestible than that found in formula milk.
• The energy breast milk provides is more efficiently utilised, than the energy provided by formula milk.
• Special immune system protective proteins are present in breast milk. These proteins offer protection against diarrhoea, food allergies and infections. The immunoprotective components of human milk include lactoferrin; lysozymes and milk leucocytes; secretory IgA; bifidus factor that protect the baby from viruses and disease-causing bacteria.