Health experts reinforce case for breastfeeding
Source: Agencies |
August 1, 2009, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
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 said yesterday.
Less than 40 percent of mothers worldwide breastfeed their infants exclusively in the first six months, as recommended by the WHO.
Many abandon the practice because they don't 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 was a problem in both rich and poor countries, she said, calling for more assistance for new mothers.
Pregnant women should also be made aware of the risks they face from both seasonal flu and the new H1N1 pandemic, the WHO said.
In a statement released to mark World Breastfeeding Week that begins today, WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said it was important that mothers in disaster zones be given the support they need to continue or restart the breast-feeding process.
Less than 40 percent of mothers worldwide breastfeed their infants exclusively in the first six months, as recommended by the WHO.
Many abandon the practice because they don't 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 was a problem in both rich and poor countries, she said, calling for more assistance for new mothers.
Pregnant women should also be made aware of the risks they face from both seasonal flu and the new H1N1 pandemic, the WHO said.
In a statement released to mark World Breastfeeding Week that begins today, WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said it was important that mothers in disaster zones be given the support they need to continue or restart the breast-feeding process.
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