WUNRN
World Breastfeeding Week August 1-7,
2014
Simple, Smart,
Cost-Effective Breastfeeding Provides Benefits that Last a Lifetime
1 August 2014 – The best thing a
mother can do for her newborn is breastfeed – which does more than help
children survive, it helps them to thrive with benefits that last a lifetime,
said the United Nations today, kicking off World Breastfeeding Week.
“Immediate breastfeeding within
the first hour of birth could prevent one in five unnecessary deaths. That’s
more than 500,000 children every year. More than 1,500 children every day,”
said
But despite being the simplest,
smartest, and most cost-effective ways of supporting healthier children,
stronger families, and sustainable growth, fewer than half of the world’s
newborns benefit from breastfeeding. Even fewer are exclusively breastfed for
the first six months.
To shift this trend, UNICEF says
it is important to change social practices by working first and foremost with
communities and families to encourage more mothers to breastfeed.
“Breastfeeding is the foundation
of good nutrition, reducing the risk of malnourishment in early childhood and
the risk of obesity later in life. By supporting nutrition and strengthening
the bond between mother and child, breastfeeding also supports healthy brain
development,”
World Breastfeeding Week –
celebrated every week from 1 to 7 August in more than 170 countries –
highlights the vital role breastfeeding plays in the lives of children. And
this year’s celebration “Breastfeeding: A Winning Goal – for Life!” underscores
the crucial link between breastfeeding and the achievement of the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs). This
linkage is especially clear when it comes to achieving MDG 4 – decreasing child
mortality.
Since 1990, the number of
children under the age of five dying from preventable causes declined by a
remarkable 47 per cent. But nearly 7 million young children still die every
year – and over 40 per cent of those are newborns. Breastfeeding also helps
prevent stunting – a global tragedy that affects millions of children,
undermining both their physical and cognitive development and the future health
of their societies.
Breastfeeding support: before your baby is born. Credits:
WHO/UNICEF
Breastfeeding support: when your baby is born. Credits:
WHO/UNICEF
Breastfeeding support: when you go home. Credits:
WHO/UNICEF
Everyone in society must do
their part in promoting such life-saving benefits including all sectors –
nutrition, maternal, newborn and child health, early childhood development, and
communication for development. Such an integrated approach is absolutely vital
in increasing the effectiveness of promoting breastfeeding,
He highlighted the importance of
global campaigns that support breastfeeding and educate new mothers of the
benefits. Major international advocacy efforts such as A Promise Renewed that
work to reduce preventable child mortality and the Scaling Up Nutrition
Movement (SUN) that reduces stunting. Meanwhile, the Global Newborn Action Plan
supports the inclusive of breastfeeding counselling in community maternal and
newborn care programmes.
The UN World Health Organization
(WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding
starting within one hour after birth until a baby is six months old. Nutritious
complementary foods could then be added while continuing to breastfeed for up
to two years or beyond.