Breastfeeding

“Mothers and babies form an inseparable biological and social unit; the health and nutrition of one group cannot be divorced from the health and nutrition of the other.” World Health Organization

I have been reading a lot of interesting articles and I thought I would use this avenue to draw some attention to the content of these articles.

The month of August was dedicated to exclusive breastfeeding this means the baby should receive breast milk only for the first six months of life. Breastfeeding is one of the most effective ways to ensure child health and survival. Information from The World Health Organization (WHO) revealed that If breastfeeding were increased to near universal levels, about 820 000 infant lives would be saved annually . Worldwide, approximately 40% of infants below six months of age are exclusively breastfed.

WHO has endorsed breastfeeding as it is the best source of nourishment for infants and young children.

Facts about breastfeeding

1. Breastfeeding is significant for the first six months of life as it provides all the necessary nutrients needed for growth and development
2. Breastfeeding protects infants from childhood illnesses such as diarrhea and pneumonia (the major causes of childhood mortality) as immunity is provided through the antibodies found in breastmilk. The breastmilk is readily available and affordable
3. Breast feeding also provides benefits for the mother it provides a form of contraceptive for the first six months of exclusive breastfeeding. It decreases the risk of ovarian cancer , type two diabetes and depression
4. Breastfeeding has long term benefits for children as those who were breastfed are less likely to be overweight or obese are less likely to have type two diabetes and perform better in intelligence test

5. Society benefits overall when mothers breastfeed.

• Breastfeeding saves lives. Research shows that if 90% of families breastfed exclusively for six months, nearly 1,000 deaths among infants could be prevented each year.
• Breastfeeding saves money. Medical costs may be lower for fully breastfed infants than never-breastfed infants. Breastfed infants usually need fewer sick care visits, prescriptions, and hospitalizations.
• Breastfeeding also helps make a more productive workforce. Mothers who breastfeed may miss less work to care for sick infants than mothers who feed their infants formula. Employer medical costs may also be lower.
• Breastfeeding is better for the environment. Formula cans and bottle supplies create more trash and plastic waste. Your milk is a renewable resource that comes packaged and warmed.

There is much benefits to gain from breastfeeding for mother, baby and society. I encourage mothers and fathers, significant others, family members to get involved in giving their baby the best start through breastfeeding exclusively for the first six month (nothing else to be given to the infant until the completed sixth month). Provide support for the mothers as it can be stressful having others around you discouraging breastfeeding or encouraging introduction of other meals before the stated time( unless there is a medical indication for not allowing breastfeeding).

Do you have questions about breastfeeding? do you have a comment please leave it in the comment section below, like, share ( to improve someone’s knowledge on the content) follow to receive updates when they become available. The article below will also provide a good read for the topic.

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/health/20200805/breast-still-best-mothers-encouraged-exclusively-feed-babies