News& Information

The World Breastfeeding Awareness Week

Author：Dr.Irena Mehandjiska Shumanska

“Support breastfeeding for a healthier planet”

Every year from August 1st until August 7th is the world breastfeeding awareness week. The international theme for this year world breastfeeding week is “Support breastfeeding for a healthier planet”. With the support for all mothers and breastfeeding we also reduce the impact on the air pollution, water, land and protect our children and future generations. Breastfeeding is a sustainable way of feeding that doesn’t require packaging and waste and provides food security for the children in emergencies and climate-related disasters. This article is about how important is this natural way of feeding and why all mothers should inform themselves and decide whether to take this journey with their newborns.

It is a personal right if you want to breastfeed your child, also there are many good reasons why in the first place you should consider breastfeeding as a brand new mom. Human milk is a complex living substance and support system for your baby that provides protection and good nutrition at the same time. Breast milk contains antibodies that are important for your baby’s immune system. These antibodies protect the baby from infections and inflammations. The immune system of the mother produce antibodies and they constantly adapt. Beside the antibodies the breast milk provides ideal nutrition. It contains mix of vitamins, proteins and fat that are essential for the baby’s growth.

Health benefits of breastfeeding for the baby

There are many studies that show how breastfeeding in duration of 6 months protects the health of the baby in the next 14 years of it’s life.

Breastfed babies have fewer respiratory infections, ear infections, occurrences of influenza, and even if the baby gets sick, the illness is usually less severe and lasts shorter time than the same illness in a baby that was not receiving mother’s milk. It also protects the baby from developing type 1 diabetes, asthma, UTI (urinary tract infections), eczema and allergies in the future. Breast milk is good for the digestive tract of the baby because it doesn’t contain toxic substances and prevents diarrhea. The milk is fully absorbed by the organism, sometimes the baby is constipated (doesn’t poop) for a week just because of that. The fats inside the milk support brain and nerve growth and breastfed children have higher IQs, better developed neurological systems and sharper vision. The connection between the baby and the mother starts with breastfeeding. That attachment is a biological necessity for the mental health of the baby. In fact a breastfed baby is touched and held almost twice as much as a formula fed baby. When the mother is sick the antibodies that are produced go in the milk and in that way the baby is protected from the same infection.

Health benefits of breastfeeding for the mother

Not only the baby benefits from breastfeeding but also the mother.

Every time when the mother nurses the baby inside her body a hormone oxytocin is released. This hormone is called the “mothering”

hormone. It stimulates the production and release of the milk, it regulates stress and makes the mother to fall in love with her baby.

Mothers that nurses their babies more than 3 months have less risk of developing ovarian cancer and breast cancer. Breastfeeding reduces the risk of osteoporosis too. The production of milk in the body results in low bone density and after 1 year of giving birth the bones are even more stimulated, act like sponges and absorb extra calcium making the bones stronger and healthier. Breastfeeding helps in loosing weight because while nursing the mother looses 500 calories .It also decreases the chances of postpartum depression (depression after giving birth because of hormone imbalance).

How long should the mother breastfeed her child?

We recommend that every mother should breastfeed her child in the first hour of the baby’s life and continue with breastfeeding at least for one year. WHO recommends breastfeeding exclusively for 6 months (the baby eats only breast milk) and continue breastfeeding even when the baby is already one year old. Almost 80 % of the mothers stop with breastfeeding after six months and start feeding the baby with milk formula and solid food.

References:

1.  "Breastfeeding and Breast Milk: Condition Information". 19 December 2013. Archived from the original on 27 July 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2015.

2.  "Infant and young child feeding Fact sheet N°342". WHO. February 2014. Archived from the original on 8 February 2015. Retrieved 8 February 2015.

3. American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Breastfeeding. (March 2012). "Breastfeeding and the use of human milk". Pediatrics. 129 (3): e827–41. doi:10.1542/peds.2011-3552. PMID 22371471. Archived from the original on 5 August 2015.