Global Strategy: Breastfeeding critical for child survival
UNICEF and WHO call for increased commitment to appropriate feeding practices for all infants and young children.
The strategy also highlights the issue of optimal feeding of the roughly 2.6 million children who are born to HIV-infected women each year. The absolute risk of HIV transmission through breastfeeding - globally between 5% and 20% - needs to be balanced against the increased risk of morbidity and mortality when infants are not breastfed. All HIV-infected mothers should receive information about the risks and benefits of various options and guidance in choosing the most suitable option.
23 MARCH 2004 | NEW YORK — Calling on governments to promote and protect
breastfeeding, UNICEF and WHO today jointly launched the Global Strategy for
Infant and Young Child Feeding. The document, developed over two years of
global consultation, pinpoints the main problems affecting infant and young
child feeding and identifies approaches to their solution.
"There is no better way than breastfeeding to make sure that a child gets
the best start in life," said UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy. "The
strategy is an invaluable roadmap for governments to create supportive
environments where women can make informed choices about feeding their
children."
Breastfeeding alone provides the ideal nourishment for infants for the first
six months of life as it provides all the nutrients, antibodies, hormones,
immune factors and antioxidants an infant needs to thrive. It protects
babies from diarrhoea and acute respiratory infections and stimulates their
immune systems.
"Virtually all mothers can breastfeed provided they have accurate
information, and support within their families and communities and from the
health care system," said LEE Jong-wook, Director-General? of WHO.
"Governments should move swiftly and effectively to implement this important
strategy."
Lack of breastfeeding - and especially lack of exclusive breastfeeding
during the first half-year of life - are important risk factors for infant
and childhood morbidity and mortality. These risk factors are compounded by
inappropriate complementary feeding as infants grow.
"Exclusive breastfeeding in the first half-year of life and continued
breastfeeding coupled with appropriate foods reduce the number of children
under five who die from malnutrition," said Dr Lee. Malnutrition is
associated with more than 50% of deaths among children under five.
The strategy calls for a dramatic increase in the number of infants who are
exclusively breastfed. Currently, no more than 35% of infants worldwide are
exclusively breastfed during even the first four months of life.
Complementary feeding frequently begins too early or too late, and foods are
often nutritionally inadequate and unsafe. Malnourished children who survive
are more frequently sick and suffer the life-long consequences of impaired
development.
"The long-term impact of poor feeding practices in infancy and early
childhood include poor school performance, reduced productivity and impaired
intellectual and social development," Bellamy said.
In addition to stressing the link between the health and nutritional status
of mothers and children, the strategy addresses the challenges of feeding in
exceptionally difficult circumstances, such as natural or man-made
emergencies.
The strategy also highlights the issue of optimal feeding of the roughly 2.6
million children who are born to HIV-infected women each year. The absolute
risk of HIV transmission through breastfeeding - globally between 5% and 20%
- needs to be balanced against the increased risk of morbidity and mortality
when infants are not breastfed. All HIV-infected mothers should receive
information about the risks and benefits of various options and guidance in
choosing the most suitable option.
The Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding, available in six
languages, was presented by UN Under Secretary-General for Management
Catherine Bertini on 23 March to the Standing Committee on Nutrition session
at the UN. It was distributed 24 March during a session on Breastfeeding and
Complementary Feeding and their contribution to achieving the UN Millennium
Development Goals.
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/releases/2004/pr19/en/
The strategy also highlights the issue of optimal feeding of the roughly 2.6 million children who are born to HIV-infected women each year. The absolute risk of HIV transmission through breastfeeding - globally between 5% and 20% - needs to be balanced against the increased risk of morbidity and mortality when infants are not breastfed. All HIV-infected mothers should receive information about the risks and benefits of various options and guidance in choosing the most suitable option.
23 MARCH 2004 | NEW YORK — Calling on governments to promote and protect
breastfeeding, UNICEF and WHO today jointly launched the Global Strategy for
Infant and Young Child Feeding. The document, developed over two years of
global consultation, pinpoints the main problems affecting infant and young
child feeding and identifies approaches to their solution.
"There is no better way than breastfeeding to make sure that a child gets
the best start in life," said UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy. "The
strategy is an invaluable roadmap for governments to create supportive
environments where women can make informed choices about feeding their
children."
Breastfeeding alone provides the ideal nourishment for infants for the first
six months of life as it provides all the nutrients, antibodies, hormones,
immune factors and antioxidants an infant needs to thrive. It protects
babies from diarrhoea and acute respiratory infections and stimulates their
immune systems.
"Virtually all mothers can breastfeed provided they have accurate
information, and support within their families and communities and from the
health care system," said LEE Jong-wook, Director-General? of WHO.
"Governments should move swiftly and effectively to implement this important
strategy."
Lack of breastfeeding - and especially lack of exclusive breastfeeding
during the first half-year of life - are important risk factors for infant
and childhood morbidity and mortality. These risk factors are compounded by
inappropriate complementary feeding as infants grow.
"Exclusive breastfeeding in the first half-year of life and continued
breastfeeding coupled with appropriate foods reduce the number of children
under five who die from malnutrition," said Dr Lee. Malnutrition is
associated with more than 50% of deaths among children under five.
The strategy calls for a dramatic increase in the number of infants who are
exclusively breastfed. Currently, no more than 35% of infants worldwide are
exclusively breastfed during even the first four months of life.
Complementary feeding frequently begins too early or too late, and foods are
often nutritionally inadequate and unsafe. Malnourished children who survive
are more frequently sick and suffer the life-long consequences of impaired
development.
"The long-term impact of poor feeding practices in infancy and early
childhood include poor school performance, reduced productivity and impaired
intellectual and social development," Bellamy said.
In addition to stressing the link between the health and nutritional status
of mothers and children, the strategy addresses the challenges of feeding in
exceptionally difficult circumstances, such as natural or man-made
emergencies.
The strategy also highlights the issue of optimal feeding of the roughly 2.6
million children who are born to HIV-infected women each year. The absolute
risk of HIV transmission through breastfeeding - globally between 5% and 20%
- needs to be balanced against the increased risk of morbidity and mortality
when infants are not breastfed. All HIV-infected mothers should receive
information about the risks and benefits of various options and guidance in
choosing the most suitable option.
The Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding, available in six
languages, was presented by UN Under Secretary-General for Management
Catherine Bertini on 23 March to the Standing Committee on Nutrition session
at the UN. It was distributed 24 March during a session on Breastfeeding and
Complementary Feeding and their contribution to achieving the UN Millennium
Development Goals.
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/releases/2004/pr19/en/