World breastfeeding week: Breast milk is the best for baby
Ever since humans evolved, breastfeeding the infant has been the norm. But after the Industrial Revolution, baby food became popular. Commercial baby food was made in the Netherlands in 1901. By 1931, many companies in Europe and the US were marketing baby food. Since the 1960s, the organic baby food market has also grown. The global baby food market was US $50.7 billion in 2014 and is estimated to be US $84 billion in 2024. It is estimated to reach US$137 billion by 2034. Such a rich market has the wherewithal to promote its interests and to influence people into thinking that commercial baby food is good for the baby.
It is not. Breast milk is the best for the baby for the first six months, and for as much later as possible. Breast milk is recommended till one or two years of age. But only the governments have the resources to blunt the influence of the rich baby food market. The governments, therefore, must act to make people aware of the benefits of breast milk, and train and make available skilled breastfeeding counsellors to guide new mothers on breastfeeding and how best to do it.
Benefits of Breastfeeding
Benefits for the baby are that breastfeeding reduces the risk of respiratory tract infections, diarrhoea, asthma, food allergies, and type 1 diabetes. They may also improve retinal, neural, and cognitive development and decrease the risk of obesity in adulthood.
Benefits for the mother are less blood loss after delivery, better uterus shrinkage, and decreased postpartum depression; delayed return of menstruation and fertility; and, in the long term, reduced risk of breast cancer, cardiovascular disease, and rheumatoid arthritis.
When Does Breastfeeding Begin?
Breastfeeding begins within an hour of a baby's birth. In the first few weeks, babies may nurse every two to three hours, for ten to fifteen minutes on each breast. Older children feed less often.
Mothers who are not able to breastfeed for one reason or another can express (produce) their milk with a massage or a breast pump. This milk can be stored at room temperature for up to six hours, refrigerated for up to eight days, or frozen for six to twelve months. Storage can be in a bottle ready for use, breastmilk-specific containers, or freezer storage bags. Someone other than the mother can then feed the baby the breast milk.
When Should Breastfeeding Not Be Done?
Breastfeeding should not be done if the mother has HIV/AIDS, active tuberculosis, is taking cancer chemotherapy medications, or is undergoing radiation therapies, especially of the chest, or is taking illegal drugs like cocaine, PCP, heroin, or marijuana. Mothers who smoke tobacco, drink alcohol, and coffee in limited amounts can breastfeed.
A baby cannot be breastfed if it has galactosemia, a medical condition that prevents it from digesting or tolerating breast milk.
Why has Breastfeeding Reduced?
Growing urbanization, changing lifestyle, working women, availability of formula milk and dried baby food, prepared baby food, and other baby foods, and the convenience of use of commercial baby food – all these have contributed to the decline in breastfeeding, especially in the developed world. Formula milk, which is mainly for infants, has the highest share of the baby food market, and is the biggest seller in the Asia-Pacific region, which has more than 50% share of the global milk-product market.
Life And Economic Benefits of Breastfeeding
Increased rates of breastfeeding could globally save the lives of 820,000 children and generate US$302 billion in additional income every year.
What the Government Can Do In India
Breastfeeding is easier to promote in developing countries like India because it is more widely accepted and socially tolerated in public, and because it costs less than infant formula and is, therefore, easier to promote in the cost-sensitive Indian society.
The steps the Indian Government should take are:
Have a written, clearly stated breastfeeding policy.
Disseminate the policy to all state governments and public health facilities.
Impart breastfeeding skills to healthcare staff.
Initiate a continuing breastfeeding awareness campaign in the local language. The campaign should use electronic and print media and innovative methods like street plays, music and dance, magic shows, and distribution of stickers in the local language to promote breastfeeding.
Train skilled breastfeeding counsellors to teach mothers and new mothers the correct way of breastfeeding.
Ask health care staff to help new mothers start breastfeeding within half an hour of the birth of the baby.
Teach mothers how to express (produce) and store breast milk.
Create breastfeeding support groups and encourage new mothers to join them.
Advise mothers not to give artificial teats or pacifiers to breastfeeding infants.
Conclusion
Breastfeeding has many medical and emotional benefits to the mother and baby, and economic benefits to society. But the huge baby food market has the wherewithal to promote its interests and influence the public into thinking that commercial baby food is good, even though it is not. Only governments have the resources to counterbalance the rich baby food lobby. Governments should, therefore, take all measures to promote breastfeeding; to make the public aware of the benefits of the baby being exclusively on breastfeeding till the age of six months or later, and on breastfeeding till the age of one or two years.
'Bottles fill his stomach, but breastfeeding fills his soul.' – Diane Wiessinger, IBCLC.
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