Breastfeeding matters!

Posted on August 13, 2019

Breastfeeding matters!

‘Breast is best’ is the slogan adopted by all health care professionals looking after babies and children. Due to the unquestionable benefits of breast milk, exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life, followed by the introduction of complementary foods with continued breastfeeding up to 1–2 years of age, is supported by many organisations, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Academy of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (ACOG) and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). South Africa has adopted the feeding policy as set out by these organisations, and through education of health care professionals and community members, aims to protect and support the breastfeeding mother-infant dyad.

Breastfeeding is the biological norm for all mammals, including humans, and offers medical and psychological benefits not available from human milk substitutes. Breastfeeding has improved infant and maternal health outcomes in both developed and developing countries, and is critical in achieving global goals on nutrition, health and survival for all children. Additionally, the beneficial health effects of breastfeeding persist even once breastfeeding has ceased. Not breastfeeding is associated with an increased risk of acute otitis media, gastroenteritis, atopic dermatitis, severe pneumonia, necrotising enterocolitis and sudden infant death syndrome. Children that did not breastfeed are also at an increased risk of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, obesity, asthma, leukaemia and lower scores on intelligence tests. It is estimated that improving breastfeeding practices can save over 820 000 children’s lives per year. Not breastfeeding also increases the maternal risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. Therefore, breastfeeding is a public health issue, not merely a lifestyle choice.

The ‘Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding’, as described in the revised Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI), is a set of evidence-based recommendations that support breastfeeding and should be integrated into antenatal, delivery and postnatal care to increase the likelihood that a woman will initiate and continue breastfeeding. Additionally, supporting each woman’s right to breastfeed can be achieved by implementing policies that enable women to integrate breastfeeding into their daily lives (i.e. protecting the right to breastfeed in public and in the workplace).

The 10 steps to successful breastfeeding are summarised as follows:

1a

Compliance with the International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes

1b

Written infant feeding policy

1c

Ongoing internal monitoring of processes

2

Equip staff with knowledge and skills to competently support breastfeeding

3

Discuss the importance of breastfeeding with pregnant women and their families

4

Initiate immediate skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding after birth

5

Support mothers to initiate and maintain breastfeeding and manage common difficulties

6

Do not supplement breastfed babies with other fluids or foods, unless medically indicated

7

Encourage rooming-in 24 hours a day (mother and baby remain together)

8

Support mothers to recognise and respond to their babies’ cues

9

Provide counselling on the use and risks of bottles, teats and pacifiers

10

Coordinate discharge to ensure that parents and babies have access to ongoing support and care

‘Breastfeeding is not only the cornerstone of a child’s healthy development; it is also the foundation of a country’s development.’ Join the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) campaign and show your support for breastfeeding.

 

Author: Dr Melantha Coetzee, MBChB (Pret), DCH (SA), FCPaed (SA), MMed (Paed), Cert Neonatology (SA), MPhil (Neonatology)

Division of Neonatology, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, School of Medicine, University of Pretoria, South Africa

 

- Author Dr Melantha Coetzee

Copyright © University of Pretoria 2024. All rights reserved.

COVID-19 Corona Virus South African Resource Portal

To contact the University during the COVID-19 lockdown, please send an email to [email protected]

FAQ's Email Us Virtual Campus Share Cookie Preferences