adminPaidamoyo Chipunza Health Reporter
SAVE the Children (UK), an international organisation, has said solving power dynamics within communities was the first step towards promoting the culture of breastfeeding babies. In its recent report titled “Breastfeeding: super food for babies”, the organisation said cultural barriers were some of the impediments to breastfeeding.
“Many women are prevented from making their own decisions about whether and how long to breast feed and are heavily influenced by traditional feeding practices that can be harmful to infants,” reads part of the organisation’s recommendations.
As the country joins the world to commemorate World Breastfeeding Week, Save the Children further recommends introduction and enforcement of stronger breastfeeding policies and legislation to promote breastfeeding.
The World Breastfeeding Week is observed every first week of August every year. This year’s commemorations will take place in Binga and will run under the theme, “Breastfeeding support: close to mothers”. Save the Children says breast milk remains the only super food for babies.
According to its report, about 22 percent of deaths could be avoided if every baby were breastfed within the first hour of life and 16 percent if breastfeeding was started within the first 24 hours.
Within the first hours and days after a child has been born, a mother produces the first milk called colostrum with the most potent natural immune system booster known to science, further notes the report. Worldwide, 92 million children under six months of age — two out of three babies — are either artificially fed or fed a mixture of breast milk and other foods.
Online Reporter