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Breastfeeding saves lives
Breastmilk is chock-full of vital nutrients and precious lives could be saved if new mothers are taught how to breastfeed properly

Teaching new mothers how to breastfeed could save 1.3 million children's lives every year, but many women get no help and give up trying, the World Health Organization (WHO) said last month.

Less than 40 per cent of mothers worldwide breastfeed their infants exclusively in the first six months, as recommended by WHO. Many abandon it because they do not know how to get their baby to latch on properly or suffer pain and discomfort.

'When it comes to doing it practically, they don't have the practical support,' WHO expert Constanza Vallenas told a news briefing in Geneva, where the United Nations agency is based.

This is a problem in both rich and poor countries, she said, calling for more assistance in hospitals, health clinics and communities for new mothers who need information and help.

The WHO recommends that babies start breastfeeding within one hour of their birth and be fed only breast milk for the first six months, avoiding water and other drinks and foods.

This can give children vital nutrients and strengthen their immune system to fight diseases like diarrhoea and pneumonia.

Formula milk does not provide the same immunity and local water can be contaminated or unsafe in many parts of the world.

If 90 per cent of infants worldwide are breastfed up to six months, an estimated 1.3 million children under the age of five could be saved a year, Ms Vallenas said.

Reuters

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