Breastfeedin g

promote

support

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A newborn baby has only three demands. They are warmth in the arms of its mother, food from her breasts, and security in the knowledge of her presence. Breastfeeding satisfies all three.
~Grantly Dick-Read

While breastfeeding may not seem the right choice for every parent, it is the best choice for every baby. ~Amy Spangler

Breastfeeding is the normal way of providing young infants with the nutrients they need for healthy growth and development. Virtually all mothers can breastfeed, provided they have accurate information, and the support of their family, the health care system and society at large.

Colostrum, the yellowish, sticky breast milk produced at the end of pregnancy, is recommended by WHO as the perfect food for the newborn, and feeding should be initiated within the first hour after birth.

Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended up to 6 months of age, with continued breastfeeding along with appropriate complementary foods up to two years of age or beyond.

10 FACTS ON BREASTFEEDING
WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life. At six months, other foods should complement breastfeeding for up to two years or more. In addition: breastfeeding should begin within an hour of birth; breastfeeding should be "on demand", as often as the child wants day and night; and bottles or pacifiers should be avoided.

Health benefits for infants

Breast milk is the ideal food for newborns and infants. It gives infants all the nutrients they need for healthy development. It is safe and contains antibodies that help protect infants from common childhood illnesses - such as diarrhea and pneumonia, the two primary causes of child mortality worldwide. Breast milk is readily available and affordable, which helps to ensure that infants get adequate sustenance.

Benefits for mothers

Breastfeeding also benefits mothers. The practice when done exclusively often induces a lack of menstruation, which is a natural (though not failsafe) method of birth control. It reduces risks of breast and ovarian cancer later in life, helps women return to their pre-pregnancy weight faster, and lowers rates of obesity.

Long-term benefits for children

Beyond the immediate benefits for children, breastfeeding contributes to a lifetime of good health. Adults who were breastfed as babies often have lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol, as well as lower rates of overweight, obesity and type-2 diabetes. There is evidence that people who were breastfed perform better in intelligence tests.

 Infant formula does not contain the antibodies found in breast milk and is linked to some risks, such as water-borne diseases that arise from mixing powdered formula with unsafe water (many families lack access to clean water). Malnutrition can result from over-diluting formula to "stretch" supplies. frequent feedings maintain the breast milk supply. If formula is used but becomes unavailable, a return to breastfeeding may not be an option due to diminished breast milk production.

Why not infant formula?

HIV and breastfeeding

For HIV-positive mothers, WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months unless replacement feeding is: acceptable (socially welcome) feasible (facilities and help are available to prepare formula) affordable (formula can be purchased for six months) sustainable (feeding can be sustained for six months) safe (formula is prepared with safe water and in hygienic conditions).

An international code to regulate the marketing of breast-milk substitutes was adopted in 1981. It calls for: all formula labels and information to state the benefits of breastfeeding and the health risks of substitutes; no promotion of breast-milk substitutes; no free samples of substitutes to be given to pregnant women, mothers or their families; and no distribution of free or subsidized substitutes to health workers or facilities.

Regulating breast-milk substitutes

Support for mothers is Breastfeeding has essential many women to be learned and
encounter difficulties at the beginning. Nipple pain, and fear that there is not enough milk to sustain the baby are common. Health facilities that support breastfeeding - by making trained breastfeeding counselors available to new mothers - encourage higher rates of the practice. To provide this support and improve care for mothers and newborns, there are now more than 20 000 "baby-friendly" facilities in 152 countries thanks to a WHO-UNICEF initiative.

Work and breastfeeding

WHO recommends that a new mother should have at least 16 weeks of absence from work after delivery, to be able to rest and breastfeed her child. Many mothers who go back to work abandon exclusive breastfeeding before the recommended six months because they do not have sufficient time, or an adequate place to breastfeed or express and store their milk at work. Mothers need access to a safe, clean and private place in or near their workplaces to continue the practice.

To meet the growing needs of babies at six months of age, complementary foods should be introduced as they continue to breastfeed. Foods for the baby can be specially prepared or modified from family meals. WHO notes that: breastfeeding should not be decreased when starting complementary feeding; complementary foods should be given with a spoon or cup, not in a bottle; foods should be clean, safe and locally available; and ample time is needed for young children to learn to eat solid foods.

The next step: phasing in new foods

Key documents Infant and young child feeding: Model Chapter for tex

This document brings together essential knowledge about infant and young child feeding that health professionals should acquire. It focuses on nutritional needs and feeding practices in children less than two years of age. Planning guide for national implementation of the Glo This document translates the aim, objectives and operational targets of the Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding into concrete, focused national strategy, policy and action plans. Guidelines on HIV and infant feeding 2010 Principles and recomendations for infant feeding in the context of HIV and a summary of evidence.

"Exclusive breastfeeding"
giving no other food or drink not even water except breast milk. It does, however, allow the infant to receive oral rehydration salts (ORS), drops and syrups (vitamins, minerals and medicines).

WHO recommends
infants start receiving complementary foods at six months (180 days) of age in addition to breast milk. Foods should be adequate, (provide sufficient energy, protein and micronutrients to meet a growing child's nutritional needs) Foods should be prepared and given in a safe manner to minimize the risk of contamination. Feeding young infants requires active care and stimulation to encourage the child to eat.

Age

Texture

Frequency

Amount at each meala

68 months

Start with thick 23 meals per day, porridge, plus frequent well mashed foods breastfeeds Continue with mashed Depending on the family foods child's appetite, 12 snacks may be offered

Start with 23 tablespoonfuls per feed, increasing gradually to of a 250 ml cup

911 months

Finely chopped or mashed foods, and foods that baby can pick up

34 meals per day, plus breastfeeds Depending on the child's appetite, 12 snacks may be offered

of a 250 ml cup/bowl

1223 months

Family foods, 34 meals per day, chopped or mashed if plus breastfeeds necessary Depending on the child's appetite, 12 snacks may be offered

to full 250 ml cup/bowl

Note: If baby is not breastfed, give in addition: 12 cups of milk per day, and 12 extra meals per day.
a

Infant and young child feeding and nutrition

Appropriate feeding practices stimulate bonding with the caregiver and psycho-social development. They lead to improved nutrition and physical growth, reduced susceptibility to common childhood illnesses and better resistance to cope with them. Improved health outcomes in young children have longlasting health effects throughout the life-span, including increased performance and productivity, and reduced risk of certain non-communicable diseases.

The Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding

provides a framework for the Department's efforts, including the production of technical information, the development of feeding recommendations, supporting research and designing training materials.

The challenge
Malnutrition is responsible, directly or indirectly for about one third of deaths among children under five. Well above two thirds of these deaths, often associated with inappropriate feeding practices, occur during the first year of life. yet barely one in three infants is exclusively breastfed during the first six months of life.

The response
The World Health Organization recommends that infants start breastfeeding within one hour of life, are exclusively breastfed for six months, with timely introduction of adequate, safe and properly fed complementary foods while continuing breastfeeding for up to two years of age or beyond.

 feeding practices include the - production of sound, evidence-based technical information, - development of guidelines and counselling courses, - provision of guidance for the protection, promotion and support of infant and young child feeding at policy, health service and community levels, - production of appropriate indicators and maintenance of a Global Data Bank on Infant and Young Child Feeding.

Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding

Infant and young child feeding are a cornerstone of care for childhood development. World-wide about 30% of children under five are stunted as a consequence of poor feeding and repeated infections. Even in resource poor settings, improved feeding practices can lead to improved intakes of energy and nutrients, leading to better nutritional status.

Recent studies in Bangladesh, Brazil and Mexico have demonstrated the impact of counseling, in communities and health services, to improve feeding practices, food intake and growth.

 TheGlobal Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feedingaims to revitalize efforts to promote, protect and support appropriate infant and young child feeding.

 All governments should develop and implement a comprehensive policy on infant and young child feeding, in the context of national policies for nutrition, child and reproductive health, and poverty reduction. All mothers should have access to skilled support to initiate and sustain exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months and ensure the timely introduction of adequate and safe complementary foods with continued breastfeeding up to two years or beyond. Health workers should be empowered to provide effective feeding counseling, and their services be extended in the community by trained lay or peer counselors.

The strategy calls for action in the following areas:

 Governments should review progress in national implementation of the International Code of Marketing of Breast milk Substitutes, and consider new legislation or additional measures as needed to protect families from adverse commercial influences. Governments should enact imaginative legislation protecting the breastfeeding rights of working women and establishing means for its enforcement in accordance with international labor standards. The strategy specifies not only responsibilities of governments, but also of international organizations, nongovernmental organizations and other concerned parties. It engages all relevant stakeholders and provides a framework for accelerated action, linking relevant intervention areas and using resources available in a variety of sectors.

The strategy calls for action in the following areas: cont.

 To enable mothers to establish and sustain exclusive breastfeeding for six months, WHO and UNICEF recommend: Initiation of breastfeeding within the first hour of life; Exclusive breastfeeding - that is, the infant only receives breast milk without any additional food or drink, not even water; Breastfeeding on demand - that is, as often as the child wants, day and night; No use of bottles, teats or pacifiers.

To enable mothers to establish and sustain exclusive breastfeeding for six months, WHO and UNICEF recommend:

WHO and UNICEF launched theBaby-Friendly Hospital Initiative(BFHI) in 1992

to strengthen maternity practices to support breastfeeding. to improve the establishment of exclusive breastfeeding worldwide and, coupled with support throughout the health system, can help mothers sustain exclusive breastfeeding.

WHO and UNICEF developed . . .

the 40-hourBreastfeeding Counselling: A Training Courseand more recently the five-dayInfant and Young Child Feeding Counselling: An Integrated Courseto train a cadre of health workers that can provide skilled support to breastfeeding mothers and help them overcome problems Basic breastfeeding support skills are also part of theIntegrated Management of Childhood Illness training coursefor first-level health workers.

Feeding in exceptionally difficult circumstances

Families in difficult circumstances require special attention and practical support to be able to feed their children adequately. Wherever possible, mothers and babies should remain together and be provided with the support they need to exercise the most appropriate feeding option under the circumstances.

Difficult circumstances refer to situations such as:

HIV-infected mothers and their infants; People suffering the consequences of complex emergencies, including natural or human-induced disasters such as floods, drought, earthquakes, war, civil unrest and severe political and economic living conditions; Low birth-weight or premature infants; Infants and young children who are malnourished; Adolescent mothers and their infants; Children living in special circumstances such as foster care, or with mothers who have physical or mental disabilities, or children whose mothers are in prison or are affected by drug or alcohol abuse.

HIV and infant feeding

in 2010 WHO released new Guidelines on HIV and Infant Feeding containing revised principles and recommendations for infant feeding in the context of HIV and a summary of evidence that resulted in the guidelines. At the same time, new recommendations were released on antiretroviral therapy for infants and children, as well as for adults and adolescents, and for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Together, the recommendations provide simple, coherent and feasible guidance to countries for promoting and supporting improved infant feeding by HIV-infected mothers.

 MANILA, May 23 (PNA) -- In line with its mission to promote breastfeeding among all Filipino mothers, the Department of Health (DOH) recently released a guideline for physicians on the promotion, protection and support of breastfeeding. The DOH and its partners from international organizations and local medical specialty and affiliate societies are committed to the promotion, protection and support for breastfeeding, said Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral.

DOH releases guidelines for physicians on breastfeeding

 The 2008 National Demographic and Health Survey revealed that among infants less than two months, only 50 percent are exclusively breastfed, while 8 percent are never breastfed at all. Of these, only 22.6 percent continue to be exclusively breastfed under 6 months of age. Children born at home and delivered with the assistance of a traditional birth attendant or "hilot" are more likely to be breastfed within the first hour of birth than those born in a health facility and delivered with the assistance of a health professional. up to 16,000 infant deaths yearly could be prevented only if breastfeeding is more widely practiced

 Counsel pregnant women on the merits of breastfeeding starting at the first encounter, and reinforced with every subsequent visit; Prescribe non-human milk only when there are valid medical reasons and with information on the inherent hazards and risks of non-human milk; Strongly advocate for the adoption of essential newborn care, rooming-in and breastfeeding standards as mandated by law.

Responsibilities of all physicians under the guidelines are:

The guidelines also prohibit physicians from:

Accepting gifts or any sort of material or financial inducements from manufacturers of breast milk substitutes and other products covered by the Milk Code; Accepting samples of non-human milk or similar products unless approved by the DOH, nor giving out samples or gifts of any sort coming from milk companies to pregnant women, mothers, and members of their families; Displaying, promoting or distributing nonhuman milk and other breast milk substitutes in their offices or clinics.

Milk Code of the Philippines (EO No. 51) and its implementing rules & regulations (AO No. 2006-0012), Rooming-in and Breastfeeding Act of 1992 (RA 7600) and its implementing rules & regulations,
National Policies on Young Child Feeding (AO No. 2005-0014), New Policies and Protocol on Essential Newborn Care (AO No. 2009-0025)

 In the Philippines, the applicable law is Executive Order No. 51 (2o October 1986), otherwise known as the "National Code of Marketing of Breast milk Substitutes, Breast milk Supplements and Other Related Products" which regulates the advertising and promotion of breast milk substitutes. Its Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations issued by the Department of Health on 15 May 2006 was the subject of a huge controversy and court case. And contrary to the International Milk Code (which stipulates that there should be absolutely no promotion of breast milk substitutes), the Philippine Supreme Court struck down provisions on the absolute prohibition of advertising, promotions, sponsorship or marketing materials for breast milk substitutes and the administrative sanctions for violations of the rules and regulations.

advertisemen ts on TV Pediasure Plus

Lactum Panatag Gain Enfakid - broken vase

Breastfeeding stations in workplaces pushed

launching of National Nutrition Month this July with the theme Isulong and BreastfeedingTama, Sapat at Ekslusibo! this is one of the biggest milestones in our campaign on the exclusive breastfeeding as the putting up of lactation area in the workplace will greatly benefit our working mothers.

 Study shows that the Philippines is among the 42 countries that accounts 90 percent of deaths among children five years old, where 82,000 died before reaching their fifth birthday. Of the said cases, 16,000 could have been prevented if only mother religiously practiced exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months. NNC also noted a decline on breastfeeding practice among mothers where more than 50 percent stopped breastfeeding on the first two months after giving birth.

Republic Act 10028 or the Expanded Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2009

mandates establishments or work places to set-up lactation stations and provide compensable time for breastfeeding and lactation periods for the employees. The lactation station should provide safe and healthful working conditions for women workers taking into account their maternal functions, thus, promoting the constitutional provision of providing facilities and opportunities to enhance their potential in the service of the nation.

Your breastfeeding rights at the workplace

Can I breastfeed at work?

If you are a mom who is employed, you have rights which support your efforts to breastfeed, such as : the right to take a break to breastfeed or express milk; and the right to a proper place where you can breastfeed or express milk.

When can I breastfeed or express milk while at work?

As a breastfeeding employee, you have the right to take a break to breastfeed or express milk. lactation period. at least 40 minutes long for every eight-hour working period includes the time it takes for you to go to and come back from a breastfeeding room or lactation station. additional break on top of other work breaks in the day, such as your lunch break and coffee break paid time off and cannot be deducted from your salary.

 The law requires employers to provide a lactation station for their breastfeeding employees. This is a place to help you breastfeed and store your breast milk. A lactation station must be private, clean and well ventilated. It should have a lavatory, electrical outlets for breast pumps, a refrigerator, tables and comfortable seats. The lactation station should not be the toilet or restroom. Milk formula or breast milk substitute cannot be promoted or advertised inside.

Where can I breastfeed or express milk at work?

 These are the minimum standards set by law. Some companies add other amenities, equipment or service for their employees. Some companies and establishments, however, may be legally exempted from putting up a lactation station. This may happen if there are only a few female employees or if the workplace is too small, leaving no room for a lactation station. If your employer is exempted, ask to use a room where you can spend your lactation period in private.

We dont have a lactation station at work. How can I convince my boss to put one up?
Unless your employer is exempted, he is required by law to establish a lactation station. Let him know, too, that he benefits from this setup. There are tax incentives given to employers who comply with this requirement. The cost of putting up a lactation station may be deducted from the companys taxable income in the year when the expenses were incurred. It can be for as much as twice the actual amount they spent for building their lactation station.

My employer won't put up a lactation station. What can I do?

If your employer refuses to establish a lactation station, you may report this matter to the Department of Health (DOH) or to a Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) office near you.

The following article appeared in The Mercury newspaper on October 30, 2002.

Sri Lankan widower breastfeeds his babies

Colombo - A 38-year-old Sri Lankan man, whose wife had died three months ago, appears to have the ability to breastfeed his two infant daughters, doctors said on Wednesday. The man, from the central town of Walapone, lost his wife during childbirth. "My eldest daughter refused to be fed with powdered milk liquid in the feeding bottle. "I was so moved one evening and to stop her crying I offered my breast. I then realised that I was capable of breastfeeding her," the man admitted. Dr Kamal Jayasinghe, deputy director of a Sri Lankan government hospital, was quoted as saying it was possible for men to produce milk if the prolactine hormone became hyperactive.

The advocacy

If a multinational company developed a product that was a nutritionally balanced and delicious food, a wonder drug that both prevented and treated disease, cost almost nothing to produce and could be delivered in quantities controlled by the consumers' needs, the very announcement of their find would send their shares rocketing to the top of the stock market.

The scientists who developed the product would win prizes and the wealth and influence of everyone involved would increase dramatically.

Women have been producing such a miraculous substance, breastmilk, since the beginning of human existence.
~Gabrielle Palmer

Maraming salamat !