World Breastfeeding Week
An Introduction to the World Breastfeeding Week, 2022
World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated worldwide each year on the first full week of August. Its aim is to improve maternal and child nutrition, healthcare, safety, and education. In 2015, it was estimated that nearly half (48%) of children under five years old were not breastfed exclusively. By the end of 2016, it was estimated that two out of three newborn babies globally did not receive the recommended minimum of breastfeeding. One of the reasons behind these statistics is due to many mothers are unable to afford formula milk for their babies.
“Step Up for Breastfeeding: Educate and Support” is the theme for World Breastfeeding Day. This encourages people to get the proper knowledge about the importance of breastfeeding and support woman through this.
The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding for six months and continued breastfeeding until two years old. Studies show that breastfeeding decreases the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain types of cancer. Breastfeeding reduces the risk of SIDS and gastrointestinal disorders. It promotes language skills and cognitive development in young children.
Point to Note: A mother who chooses to breastfeed her child is likely to give her child greater protection against various diseases, especially those linked to malnutrition. Also, breastfeeding increases the immune system of both mother and child.
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that women who breastfed were less likely to suffer from depression and anxiety than women who didn’t breastfeed. Another study published in the Archives of Pediatric Adolescent Medicine showed that children who were breastfed had higher IQ scores than children who weren’t breastfed.
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Why do we need to know about Breastfeeding?
World Breastfeeding Week still has an important role to play today in order to spread the message of breastfeeding as a global strategy for infant health, child survival, and development. It also serves as an opportunity to increase political commitment and action in support of breastfeeding on a global scale. Breastfeeding plays a vital role in making a child’s first years of living healthy and enjoyable. It includes all the essential nutrients that a child needs for proper growth and protects them against various diseases that threaten their health.
What’s more, it also makes the mother healthier by helping her to lose weight faster after she has given birth. We know that breastfeeding is something most mothers want to do, but it can sometimes be challenging to do so. If you’re struggling to breastfeed your baby, don’t give up just yet! There are many resources out there that can help make breastfeeding easier.
Why is it important to educate people about the importance of Breastfeeding?
The first thing we need to understand is that breastfeeding is not just about feeding babies. There are many reasons why breastfeeding is important for both mother and baby. Here are some of those reasons:
- Breast milk contains antibodies that help protect infants from certain illnesses. These antibodies are transferred from mother to child via breast milk.
- It gives mothers the opportunity to bond with their infants.
- Breastfed babies have less risk of developing allergies, asthma, diabetes, obesity, and ear infections.
- It helps prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
- Breastfeeding prevents illness due to malnutrition
- It helps increase IQ levels and school achievement
- There are many benefits to breastfeeding, but the biggest benefit is that it’s natural!
Many mothers believe breastfeeding is not possible due to cultural beliefs, social stigma, and lack of knowledge. But, it’s important to educate people about how important breastfeeding is for the success of both mother and child. A lot of women don’t know they can breastfeed if they want to. Women should never feel pressured to breastfeed, it’s something that they decide to do based on what’s best for them and their families.
Some facts to learn on this World Breastfeeding Week
1. Breastfeeding is natural and normal
Breast milk contains many nutrients that help build strong immune systems in babies and toddlers. It provides antibodies that protect infants from illness and disease. Breastfed babies have fewer ear infections and diarrhea than bottle-fed babies. Breastfed children have lower rates of asthma, diabetes, obesity, leukemia, and some types of cancer.
2. Breastfeeding is good for mommy
Breasts provide nutrition for both baby and mother. When breastfeeding, moms get extra iron, zinc, vitamin B12, folate, and protein. Moms who breastfeed after childbirth may have less pain and bleeding from labor. Mothers who nurse their babies are at reduced risk of postpartum depression and anxiety.
Research shows that women who breastfeed after giving birth are less likely to develop breast cancer, ovarian cancer, uterine fibroids, endometriosis, and menopausal symptoms. Women who breastfeed after childbearing may experience less vaginal dryness, urinary incontinence, and painful intercourse.
3. Breastfeeding is best for baby
Breastfed babies sleep longer, wake less often, and cry less. Babies who are breastfed tend to gain weight faster than those fed formulae. They also learn how to eat solid foods earlier than babies who aren’t breastfed. Studies show that breastfeeding has many advantages for mothers and babies. In addition to the nutritional benefits listed above, breastfeeding helps prevent premature birth, low birth weight, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and childhood cancers.
Every year, World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated worldwide each August. It was first celebrated in 1997 by UNICEF in an effort to improve maternal and child nutrition, healthcare, safety, and education. World Breastfeeding Week is known to promote breastfeeding as the best and most appropriate method of feeding infants. It encourages mothers who have chosen this method to continue breastfeeding even when they have lost their jobs or are suffering a family crisis. The week also aims to identify and remove barriers for mothers who wish to breastfeed.
The Final Outcome
One of the main aims of World Breastfeeding Week, is to protect and promote breastfeeding as the optimal way for babies to be fed. Furthermore, it also strives to utilize breastfeeding programs to improve maternal health, which can have a positive effect on the global health community. The people’s outlook on breastfeeding in public is that they believe that it should not be done in public. However, they do understand that if someone wants to breastfeed their child then they have the right to do so.
