World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) is celebrated August 1st to 7th every year globally to encourage breastfeeding and improve the health of babies. Twenty-nine years ago, government policymakers, the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) and other organizations signed a declaration to protect, promote and support breastfeeding. This year, WHO and UNICEF are partnering for WBW to promote the importance of family-friendly policies that enable breastfeeding and help parents to nurture and bond with their children early in life, when it is most important. These policies will include maternity leave for a minimum of 18 weeks and paid paternity leave to encourage shared responsibility of caring for children. In addition to these, access of lactating mothers to parent-friendly workplaces to protect and support their ability to breastfeed when they return to work; an area that is safe, private and hygienic for expressing breastmilk.
Breastfeeding promotes healthy mothers and children. Breastmilk is indeed the best milk for your babies. In 2017, the TCI embarked on the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI); which means that the TCI Hospitals and health care facilities promote breastfeeding as the number one way of providing nutrition for your baby. Being a baby friendly hospital means that mothers and families are educated on the importance of breastfeeding in the prenatal period, the infant is placed on the breast within one hour following delivery to encourage bonding, no bottles or pacifiers are to be brought into the hospital and mothers are encouraged to continue breastfeeding exclusively for a period of 6 months before any other food is introduced. As a part of the BFHI, the Ministry of Health is conducting on-going training for primary health care staff, mothers and parents on breastfeeding practices, introducing a new child growth chart, and the development of a nutrition policy which will improve the overall nutritional health of all children.
Breastmilk has many benefits:
- It is best source of nutrition for most infants.
- It is a cost effective way of feeding your baby.
- It strengthens the bond between mother and baby.
- It is easy to digest and contains antibodies which help to protect the infant from bacterial and viral infections.
- Reduces the risk of breast and ovarian cancer, hypertension and diabetes in the mother.
- Improves health, recovery and mental well-being of the mother.
- Helps to reduce weight gained in pregnancy.
- Works as a natural contraceptive when child is exclusively breastfed although it should not be relied on as the only means of birth control.
- Breastfed babies have less illnesses e.g. asthma, constipation, ear and respiratory infections, gastroenteritis (diarrhea and vomiting) and obesity.
- Breastfed babies are more alert – the fatty acids in breastmilk are thought to be brain boosters.
Breastfeeding promotion will continue for the week in all primary health care clinics across the Turks and Caicos Islands. For more information on breastfeeding please call 649 338 5469 or visit your midwife or family care provider.
ENDS