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It's World Breastfeeding Week.
World Breastfeeding Week 2014: Reducing Infant Mortality With Nutrition-Packed Breast Milk
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that as many as 3.3 million children around the world die during their first four weeks of life, with the most common causes of these deaths being infections, premature birth, and asphyxia. World Breastfeeding Week (Aug. 1-7), however, aims to raise awareness about the power of breast milk in reducing death from these factors and others, and it’s all in hopes of achieving the United Nation’s fourth Millennium Development Goal (MDG): Reducing the 1990 mortality rate among under-5 children by two-thirds by 2015.
“By protecting, promoting, and supporting breastfeeding, we can all contribute to each of the MDG’s in a substantial way,” said Dr. Felicity Savage, chairwoman of the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA), in a press release. “Exclusive breastfeeding and adequate appropriate complementary feeding are key interventions for improving child survival, potentially reducing deaths among children under 5 by about 20 percent. Early and exclusive breastfeeding improves newborn care and reduces neonatal mortality, which contributes to the majority of infant deaths.”
Unfortunately, the majority of health issues relating to newborns and their mothers comes from low- and middle-income countries in Africa and South Asia, where continuity of health care rarely occurs after the mother has given birth. Once she has, however, and assuming that her child doesn’t have to be treated for infections or any other urgent matter, it’s important for at-home care to focus on the baby’s needs. Breastfeeding is one of these.
“Breastfeeding has been shown repeatedly to be the single most effective way to prevent infant death; it plays a major role in children’s health and development, and significantly benefits the health of mothers,” Savage said. Indeed, breastfeeding offers many health benefits to kids. In a brochure, WABA notes that “immediate skin-to-skin contact and early initiation of breastfeeding — putting the baby to the mother’s breast within an hour after birth — could reduce neonatal mortality significantly” Yet, less than 50 percent of newborns are breastfed within this first hour.
http://www.medicaldaily.com/world-breastfeeding-week-2014-reducing-infant-mortality-nutrition-packed-breast-milk-296232
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that as many as 3.3 million children around the world die during their first four weeks of life, with the most common causes of these deaths being infections, premature birth, and asphyxia. World Breastfeeding Week (Aug. 1-7), however, aims to raise awareness about the power of breast milk in reducing death from these factors and others, and it’s all in hopes of achieving the United Nation’s fourth Millennium Development Goal (MDG): Reducing the 1990 mortality rate among under-5 children by two-thirds by 2015.
“By protecting, promoting, and supporting breastfeeding, we can all contribute to each of the MDG’s in a substantial way,” said Dr. Felicity Savage, chairwoman of the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA), in a press release. “Exclusive breastfeeding and adequate appropriate complementary feeding are key interventions for improving child survival, potentially reducing deaths among children under 5 by about 20 percent. Early and exclusive breastfeeding improves newborn care and reduces neonatal mortality, which contributes to the majority of infant deaths.”
Unfortunately, the majority of health issues relating to newborns and their mothers comes from low- and middle-income countries in Africa and South Asia, where continuity of health care rarely occurs after the mother has given birth. Once she has, however, and assuming that her child doesn’t have to be treated for infections or any other urgent matter, it’s important for at-home care to focus on the baby’s needs. Breastfeeding is one of these.
“Breastfeeding has been shown repeatedly to be the single most effective way to prevent infant death; it plays a major role in children’s health and development, and significantly benefits the health of mothers,” Savage said. Indeed, breastfeeding offers many health benefits to kids. In a brochure, WABA notes that “immediate skin-to-skin contact and early initiation of breastfeeding — putting the baby to the mother’s breast within an hour after birth — could reduce neonatal mortality significantly” Yet, less than 50 percent of newborns are breastfed within this first hour.
http://www.medicaldaily.com/world-breastfeeding-week-2014-reducing-infant-mortality-nutrition-packed-breast-milk-296232
Feed your children well.
27 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
Sort of defeats the purpose doesn't it? 
Cezanne: Hortense Breast Feeding Paul
