The World Health Organization says getting new mothers to breast-feedtheir infants could save 1.3 million children's lives each year. The theme of this year's World Breast-feeding Week, which begins August1, stresses the importance of breast-feeding as a life-saving measure,especially during emergencies.
The World Health Organization says lessthan 40 percent of mothers around the world breast-feed their infantsin the first six months.
Constanza Vallenas is WHO MedicalOfficer in the Department of Child and Adolescent Health andDevelopment. She says raising the global breast-feeding rate to 90percent would prevent the deaths of an estimated 13 percent of allchildren under the age of five in the developing world.
"Itgives the nutrients and the immune factors that are important forprotecting infants against the most serious infections they can get,which is diarrhea and pneumonia," said Dr. Vallenas. "It also protectsagainst malnutrition. The recommendation we have along with UNICEF isthat infants should be exclusively breast fed, meaning without evenwater until six months of age. And, from there on to continue breastfeeding with appropriate complimentary foods until the age of two yearsor beyond."
Dr. Vallenas says many mothers are discouragedfrom breast-feeding because they do not know how to get their baby tolatch on properly to the breast's nipple, or because they suffer painand discomfort. She says this problem, which afflicts women in bothrich and poor countries, could be overcome with the right practicalsupport.
The World Alliance for Breast-feeding Action, whichincludes organizations such as WHO and the United Nations Children'sFund (UNICEF), is using this week to highlight the benefits ofbreast-feeding in emergency situations.
Dr. Vallenas says thereis a widespread misconception that stress or inadequate nutrition,commonly seen during emergencies, can prevent mothers frombreast-feeding successfully. She says this problem can be remediedwith the right sort of counseling.
"One of the things we suggestis that during emergencies there are safe corners so that mothers canbreast feed there, that they can receive counseling-one-to-onecounseling, that they can have mothers' support groups so they cansupport each other," said Dr. Vallenas. "And, also that health workersor field workers should know how to help a mother re-lactate. That isalso possible. If a mother has stopped breast-feeding for sometime,she can resume breast-feeding if she has the proper motivation andsupport from a skilled person."
On arelated issue, the World Health Organization says pregnant women shouldbe made aware of the risks they face from both seasonal flu and theH1N1 swine flu pandemic. It says expectant mothers should be given toppriority in receiving antiviral drugs like Tamiflu.