Optimal breastfeeding is vital for the good health and well-being of women and children throughout their lives. Thus, WHO and UNICEF recommend early initiation of breastfeeding in the first hour of life; exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life and continuing until two years of age or older, with the introduction of nutritionally adequate and safe complementary (solid) foods at six months.
As a reminder of the 1990 Innocenti Declaration on Infant and Young Child Feeding, World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated each year from August 1 to 7, organized by WABA (World Breastfeeding Alliance), an entity that works together with WHO and UNICEF. The slogan for this year’s campaign is “Protecting Breastfeeding: A Shared Responsibility .” It focuses on the need to avoid discrimination against breastfeeding mothers and to promote family and community support for breastfeeding.
The four goals of World Breastfeeding Week 2021
In this year, marked by the pandemic and the separation of mothers and newborns, the organizers want to highlight the importance of networking in the social sector to support nursing mothers with all related sectors to generate a common cause and emphasize the link between breastfeeding with the different areas.
And, according to WABA, “access to breastfeeding is currently limited by the overload of health systems and the requirements of social distancing.”
To achieve this, four objectives are set:
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Inform people about the importance of protecting breastfeeding.
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Anchor. Supporting breastfeeding as a vital public health responsibility.
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Engage with individuals and organizations for greater impact.
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Galvanize action on the protection of breastfeeding to improve public health.
The campaign “Effective Chain of Support for Breastfeeding”
In order to make the important role of the breastfeeding mother visible and support her role, within the framework of World Breastfeeding Week 2021 WABA has launched the Campaign “Effective Chain of Support for Breastfeeding” , which seeks to link different actors in health, community and workplace sectors to provide ongoing care for the first 1000 days of the child’s life .
WABA has identified a total of “12 key targets” of support with recommendations in multiple languages targeting each of them:
1.- Parents. The father is a vital part of the breastfeeding team. When parents support breastfeeding and are involved in caring for the baby, it has a positive impact on breastfeeding and parenting, and the baby develops faster.
2.- Community members. They play an important role in promoting and defending breastfeeding in society. They can share experiences, personal strategies, and have a positive influence on infant feeding decisions.
3.- Support groups for mothers, have an important role in the continuity of support to families with breastfeeding in the community. They can provide women and their families with timely and accurate information, as well as practical and emotional support to promote optimal breastfeeding.
4.- Midwives / midwives. They have a great influence on mothers’ decision to choose breastfeeding and on their success. Quality obstetric care improves the chances of survival of the mother and child, as well as their health and well-being before, during and after delivery.
5.- Certified lactation consultants. They serve a multidisciplinary role that combines widespread support for breastfeeding and health care. This improves maternal infant survival and health and well-being throughout the prenatal and postnatal period and during delivery.
6.- Pediatricians. They should be aware of the great influence they have on mothers and fathers in matters of child health and nutrition. Any advice pediatricians offer about breastfeeding will profoundly affect the decisions that mothers and fathers make about it.
7.- Obstetricians and gynecologists. Medical professionals in charge of the care of mothers, before, during and after childbirth, can play an active role in. breastfeeding support and can support mothers to achieve their baby feeding goals.
8.- Trade unions and labor organizations. They are key actors in the promotion, negotiation and implementation of social protection and breastfeeding rights for mothers, fathers and partners in the workplace. They have the power to organize, inform, mobilize working people and negotiate collective agreements that support breastfeeding.
9.- Nutritionists and dietitians. They play a key role in food selection, improving nutritional status and developing preventive and therapeutic interventions, both in general and emergency settings.
10.- Ecologists. They can participate in the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding by advocating that this is the first sustainable and renewable diet. Breastfeeding contributes positively to the health of the planet, which includes the health of people and the whole world.
11.- Young people. They have the power to change social norms, using innovative approaches and through different channels. They can therefore play an active role in advocating for an environment conducive to breastfeeding.
12.- Universities. Across different disciplines, they play a fundamental role in promoting, supporting and defending breastfeeding through education, research and the dissemination of research results.
Just one question before finishing: do you think this campaign is necessary? Do you think that mothers are still being discriminated against for choosing to continue breastfeeding their babies beyond the minimum six months recommended by the WHO? Do you think there are still people who criminalize breastfeeding in public? Are women of childbearing age still penalized in the world of work? Have you experienced any of these clear signs of discrimination? We are looking forward to reading your words.
Via | WABA
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