Over the past several years, the first week of August – from 1 to 7 – held in more than 120 countries world breastfeeding week: this year with the theme “Breastfeeding: A Key to Sustainable Development”, an opportunity to create a greater awareness of the importance of breastfeeding in the first months of life.
Breast milk not only provides the newborn the nutrients that they need for their growth and development, but also defenses and immune system, becoming a shield against infections, allergies and being the best regulator of metabolism of the baby in formation.
It is for all this, and much more, that breastfeeding is a priority around the world to save thousands of lives and to ensure better health of many others. According to estimates by the World Health Organization, if at all breastfed babies are fed from birth until they are six months they will globally avoid about 800,000 infant deaths each year.
The key to successful breastfeeding is premature, that is, to offer the breast to the baby or well-lit. It is therefore important to respect the space between the mother and the newborn from the outset, giving the time needed to establish this link so intimate.
However, several studies conducted by UNICEF have revealed that in many parts the women are not getting the help they need to start breast-feeding immediately after birth.
The truth is that for this year’s World Breastfeeding Week 2016 has focused its objectives on the relationship of breastfeeding with sustainability and objectives of Sustainable Development. The sustainable development is, according to the United Nations “that meets present needs without compromising future generations in their abilities to meet their own needs”.
Breastfeeding notes as one of the keys to that goal, since it is directly related to nutrition, health, food security, development and survival, while it is also linked to increased economic productivity in an environmentally sustainable way.