World Breastfeeding Week

• 1. World Breastfeeding Week Editor Corner
• 2. Breastfeeding
• 3. Weaning
• 4. Your Health and Breastfeeding
• 5. Some safety tips not to be forgotten

World Breastfeeding Week - Editor's Corner

"A newborn baby has only three demands. They are warmth in the arms of its mother, food from her breasts, and security in the knowledge of her presence. Breastfeeding satisfies all three." - Grantly Dick-Read

Breast milk is the ideal food for the infant. It contains all the nutrients that no other food is required for the baby until 4 to 5 months after birth. Breastfeeding has various advantages both to the infant as well as to the mother. Prolonged breast feeding protects the baby from early malnutrition and some infections, and a child who is breastfed has greater chances of survival than a child artificially fed. To the mother, it helps in the contraction of the uterus to its normal size and also helps in losing the weight gained during pregnancy.

At the age of 4 to 5 months breast milk should be supplemented by additional foods rich in protein and other nutrients. These are called supplementary foods which should be introduced very gradually in small amounts.

In some societies, lactation continues to make an important contribution to the child's nutrition for 18 months or longer. But many mothers resort to bottle feeding for various reasons. This should be stopped as bottle feeding has many disadvantages and by doing so you devoid your baby from the benefits of breast milk. It is therefore advised the mothers to breast feed and avoid the feeding bottle.

The main indications for artificial feeding are failure of breast milk, prolonged illness or death of the mother. It is crucial for the baby to be fed with breast milk substitutes which include dried whole milk, milk powder, fresh milk from a cow or other animal or commercial formulae as advised by your doctor.

To create awareness on these facts, the World Breastfeeding Week is observed every year from 1st to 7th August. It commemorates the Innocenti Declaration made by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF policy-makers in August 1990 to protect, promote and support breastfeeding.

The theme this year is "Breastfeeding: A Vital Emergency Response. Are you ready?" In emergency situations children are the most vulnerable. Breastfeeding is a life saving intervention for the youngest infants. Even in non-emergency settings, non-breastfed babies under two months of age are six times more likely to die. Therefore, this year this theme will lay emphasis on

• Drawing attention to the vital role that breastfeeding plays in emergencies worldwide
• Stressing the need for active protection and support of breastfeeding before and during emergencies
• Informing mothers, breastfeeding advocates, communities, health professionals, governments, aid agencies, donors and the media on how they can actively support breastfeeding before and during an emergency
• Mobilizing the action and promoting networking and collaboration between those with breastfeeding skills and those involved in emergency response

Breastfeeding is the best way to provide newborns with the nutrients they need. Exclusive breastfeeding until a baby is 6 months old and continued breastfeeding with the addition of nutritious complementary foods for up to two years or beyond is what WHO recommends. Breastfeeding is very precious for the infants. It is essential for every mother to realize the importance of breastfeeding. This Special focuses on the benefits of breastfeeding to both the baby and the mother. Read on to get acquainted with the facts that you were not aware of!