Health Care Without Harm Marks World Breastfeeding Week with Health and Benefit Focus
Global — Health Care Without Harm is marking World Breastfeeding Week (August 1-7, 2011) with the message that breastfeeding is a critically important step to ensure the health of infants, and is the best course of action for new mothers worldwide.
HCWH supports breast feeding to promote children’s health around the world and is engaged in an active campaign in the U.S. to end the practice of sending infant formula home with new mothers as part of “new baby” gift packs.
“Breastfeeding is one of the most important ways that parents can give infants a good start on life,” said Verónica Odriozola, Executive Director, Health Care Without Harm Latin America. “Working mothers often feel the pressure to feed their babies formula and transnational food corporations encourage this practice. However, studies show that breastfeeding drastically reduces infant deaths from acute respiratory infection, diarrhea, and other infectious diseases, especially in areas without access to clean water and sanitation, where health care is inaccessible, and where the burden of disease is high.”
The initial breast milk, colostrum, contains antibodies, hormones, growth factors, and other nutrients that provide protection for infants from illness until the baby’s own protective systems are more fully developed. Babies exclusively formula-fed are at increased risk of respiratory problems, including asthma, allergies, digestive problems, pneumonia, ear infections, and diabetes.
“Breast milk is best for human babies. It provides the proper nutrients, antibodies and other benefits, that nourish and protect the infant,” stated Ted Schettler, MD, MPH, science director, Science and Health Environmental Network, and a member of the Health Care Without Harm U.S. Steering Committee. “Breastfeeding provides babies health protections that can last throughout their lives. And, breastfeeding also has significant health benefits for mothers.”
According to the World Health Organization “a lack of exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of life contributes to over a million avoidable child deaths each year." UNICEF notes that breastfed children have at least a six times greater chance of survival in the early months. Despite these facts, the International Baby Food Action Network notes that large corporations are pushing infant formula around the world, “using new ways to promote their products, such as basing marketing campaigns on added ingredients, even when these have no proven benefit.”
Breastfeeding also provides benefits for mothers, including the opportunity to bond with the newborn and provide it with a sense of wellbeing and comfort. Mothers who breastfeed have lower risk of Type 2 diabetes, breast cancer, ovarian cancer and post-partum depression. Breastfeeding also saves families thousands of dollars in formula costs, and is associated with fewer days lost from work for mothers due to fewer illnesses in breastfed infants. Breastfeeding also generates no waste, as opposed to packaged formulas.