For example, breast-feeding lowers the risk of sudden infant death in high-income countries by more than one-third, they said.
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Currently, the percentages of children who a breast fed vary significantly between high-income countries and middle- to low-income countries, and vary wildly from country-to-country irrespective of income.
Victora and his colleagues discovered that breastfeeding can help lower the risk of children developing diabetes and obesity later in life.
If virtually every new mother breastfed her baby, more than 800,000 children’s lives would be saved every year and thousands of future breast cancer deaths could be avoided, new research reveals.
King say it’s a step forward to improve the health of breastfeeding moms and their babies. For instance, greater rates of breastfeeding would prevent about half of all diarrhea episodes and one-third of respiratory infections. Breastfeeding more babies for longer could save the global economy some US$300 billion in a single year, simply by yielding smarter and higher-earning offspring, researchers said today. “Breastfeeding requires investment to overcome the socio-political barriers that exist in many countries through the effective approaches and practices”.
Medical and practical matters aside, researchers say marketing efforts by formula and breast milk replacement companies plays a role in diminishing the unique benefits of breastfeeding.
“Currently, breastfeeding promotion focuses on encouraging women to breastfeed without providing the necessary economic and social conditions such as supportive healthcare systems, adequate maternity entitlements and workplace interventions, counselling and education”, said co-author Nigel Rollins from the World Health Organisation.
“Genuine and urgent commitment is needed from governments and health authorities to establish a new normal: where every woman can expect to breastfeed, and to receive every support she needs to do so”, The Lancet writes in the editorial of the series.
Over 1,300 studies, including some commissioned particularly for this report, which is dedicated to the levels, trends and advantages of breast-feeding. Fewer than 1 per cent of babies were breastfed up to their first birthday in the United Kingdom, while the figure in Ireland was 2 per cent. In Denmark, only 3 per cent of women did so. Exclusive breastfeeding could add hundreds of billions of dollars to the global economy each year, estimates the study.
The report has found that breastfeeding not only helps child survive in nations having high infant mortality, but would also help children thrive.
The World Health Organization recommends that infants be exclusively breast-fed for the first six months of their life with additional foods introduced alongside breast milk for the first two years. Now there is more reason to advocate breastfeeding in all corners of the world.
“The evidence. contributed by some of the leading experts in the field, leaves no doubt that the decision not to breastfeed has major long-term negative effects on the health, nutrition and development of children and on women’s health”.
“So, just speaking to her without trying to address the neighboring environment around her is going to… not give good results and in fact, sometimes put her in a situation where she’ll feel very frustrated because she will want to practice the better feeding behavior, but her mother-in-law or her husband will give contrary advice”, said Baker.
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The breastfeeding rate 12 months after birth in the State is 2 per cent, the same as in Saudi Arabia. The Lancet finds that breastfeeding is the ultimate personalized medicine.
