World Breastfeeding Week Celebration – Why?
World Breastfeeding Week Celebration – WHY?
The first and foremost responsibility of the mother is to breast feed her baby. Breastfeeding should be initiated within half an hour after delivery. But in the past three decades, breastfeeding has subsided due to various premonition, disbelieves and misconceptions. The importance of mother feeding her baby was not conveyed to new mothers. Moreover, mothers who were breastfeeding their baby showed dependency on supplements, rather than giving them exclusive breast feeding.
To promote the comprehensive Breastfeeding culture across the world and to support Breastfeeding, an organisation, World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) was established on 14th Feb 1991. In order to take it worldwide WABA celebrated its first World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) in 1992. WBW is an annual celebration observed every year from 1 to 7 August in more than 120 countries, by WABA, WHO and UNICEF. WBW is celebrated with the goal to promote exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life. Exclusive breastfeeding means the newborn is fed only with breast milk. No other supplements, liquids or solids, including water, should be given. Exclusive Breastfeeding for the first six months of life yields tremendous health benefits, such as, providing all essential nutrients required by the infant in right proportion and quantity, protection from deadly diseases(such as pneumonia), fostering all round growth and development. WBW commemorates the Innocenti Declaration made by WHO and UNICEF in August 1990 to protect and support breastfeeding. They highly recommend all mothers on exclusive breast feeding to their child for the first six months of life and there after a supplemented breastfeeding can be given for one, two or more years.
To ensure exclusive breast feeding, it is very necessary to the mothers to get support and healthcare education on breastfeeding. This continuous support can show gradual and permanent changes in the society and will lead to healthy and disease free society. To promote continuous breastfeeding, the mother should be supported by the partner, family, friends, work spot, society, health workers and lactation consultants. Hence Breastfeeding campaigns are also organised by WABA, WHO, UNICEF and their partners including individuals, organisations and Governments.
Goals of the Breastfeeding Campaign:
- To encourage the breastfeeding supporters to be trained to provide support to mothers and babies in more effective ways.
- To make aware the peer group to support mothers, to establish and continue breastfeeding.
- To expand Peer counselling programmes stressing on the benefits of Peer counselling.
- To notify Governments on more maternity facilities in order to increase the rate of exclusive breastfeeding.
- To make the mothers aware of the contacts of the neighbouring community support, to enable lactating mothers to get support after delivery.
World Breastfeeding Week 2016 is celebrated from Monday (1st Aug) to Sunday (7th Aug). I have created an event on Happy Living Facebook Page, to promote and encourage Breastfeeding, on 6th Aug from 10am to 10pm. Extend your support by posting your opinions and experience on Breastfeeding, and also get your doubts on Breastfeeding and Nutrition during Lactation clarified.
Book your appointment on your personalised diet plan for lactation and diet plan for child from 0 -2 yrs at 50% off for the whole month of August!
Breastfeeding is not a Choice it’s a Responsibility!
Uma Maheshwari PS
Dietitian, Happy Living Diet Clinic
www.facebook.com/happylivingdietclinic
+91 99000 46344
