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Mother Support: Going for the Gold

AMM Samsad
***The theme for the 17th Annual WBW eJiebration, celebrated by more than 120 countries worldwide, is "Mother Support: Going for the Gold." This calls for increased support for mothers in achieving the gold standard of infant feeding: breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months, and continue breastfeeding together with feeding other appropriate complementary foods for up to two years and beyond.***
AS the world celebrates the summer Olympics in China from August 8-24, 2008, the world Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA)is celebrating World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) this week from August 1-7.
Like many other countries elsewhere in the world. Bangladesh will also observe this week with due honour. The theme for the )7th Annual WBW celebration, celebrated by more than 120 countries worldwide, is "Mother Support:
Going for the Gold." This calls for increased support for mothers in achieving the gold standard of infant feeding: breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months, and continue breastfeeding together with feeding other appropriate complementary foods for up to two years and beyond.
An Olympic athlete needs support from family, friends, community, and sponsors in order to compete successfully. So, a mother too needs support to breastfeed. Both athlete and a breastfeeding mother face challenges.
For a breastfeeding mother,
these challenges include overcoming misinformation, maintaining breastfeeding while working outside the home, coping in emergency situations and, most importantly, overcoming doubts about her ability to breastfeed her baby. Belief in oneself is a key ingredient for success for both the athlete and the mother.
The recent Cochrane Review evaluated 34 trials from 14 countries for effects on the duration of any breastfeeding (both partial and exclusive) and exclusive breastfeeding alone. The review found that all forms of support,
professional and lay, analysed together, significantly extended the duration of any breastfeeding.
WHO/Unicef training for hospital staff significantly prolonged exclusive breastfeeding.
Infants are meant to be breastfed. Breastfeeding provides the best possible start to life in all areas of development. Even in developed countries, lack of breastfeeding is associated with an increased risk to the survival and health of babies.
Artificial feeding is associated with a higher rate of deaths in babies. Early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding can save more than one million babies.
Compared with children who are exclusively breastfed, those who arc artificially fed do not develop normally -- they have poorer health, higher mortality rates and lower IQ scores. Mothers and communities also benefit
Breast-fed is best-fed.
when babies are breastfed. Breast cancer is more common in mothers who either haven't breastfed or breastfed for a short time.
Menstrual periods return earlier for mothers who don't breastfeed, and this can lead to closer pregnancies, and increased health
problems in mothers and babies. Exclusive breastfeeding leads to decreased economic costs for families, communities, the health system, and the environment.
AMM Samsad Is a Public Health and Development specialist. He can be reached at: samko1983@yahoo com.