Breastfeeding is best!

Breastfeeding is the best way of providing a baby with all its nutritional needs during the first 6 months of their life. 

When first breastfed children receive colostrum - a substance that provides a child with anti-bodies from their mother to help them fight disease.  Children automatically receive the right amount of nutrients in the right proportions from being breastfed.  Other elements in breastmilk - such as lactoferrin, which helps iron be taken into the body and protects the gut from bacteria are vital for a child's health.  What the breastmilk is made up of changes automatically as the baby grows.

Artificial milk that is used to bottle feed children is modelled on breastmilk.  Sometimes children need to be bottle fed, however, in countries where unclean water means bottle feeding of babies can increase their chances of getting sick it is best to avoid it where possible.  UNICEF believes the health benefits, as well as the saving of money on buying milk formula, are good reasons to breastfeed.

Breastfeeding children under two in the developing world could save up to 1.4million deaths each year by preventing babies from catching diarrhoea, respiratory diseases and other infections. It is therefore important to improve education for new mothers and encourage them to breastfeed.

UNICEF supports World Breastfeeding Week - an annual event to promote breastfeeding of infants
In 2009 UNICEF Indonesia used the opportunity to train 20 journalists; raising awareness of the dangers of using feeding formulas, encouraging accurate reporting, and appealing to editors to prevent the support of breastfeeding substitutes such as formula and baby food.

UNICEF is a member of the Baby Friendly Hospitals Initiative (BFHI) and the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes.  Baby Friendly Hospitals undertake to encourage breast feeding and offer other support to mothers and children such as allowing them to stay in the same room together.  A number of hospitals in New Zealand are baby friendly.  The New Zealand Breastfeeding Authority promotes the programme, click here for more information.

The International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes works with countries to make sure milk formula is marketed to people in the right way.  For example it is illegal in some countries  for companies making breastmilk substitutes to give free handouts to potential mothers because this might be encouraging them to use formula instead of breast milk.

In Serbia and Montenegro 84% of all maternity wards have become Baby Friendly – promoting close contact of mother and baby immediately after birth, and increasing the number of fathers participating in the deliveries and sharing the excitement of this moment in life.

Source: UNICEF International Website

UNICEF also helps with the Low Birth Weight Prevention Initiative which provides growth monitoring health facilities (places where childrens height and weight are recorded) for children in communities in more that 40 countries.  These facilities help to determine the reasons why children are being born with a low birth weight (ie: what is lacking in the communities diet).