NMA: World Breastfeeding Week

For mothers, breastfeeding provides many health benefits such as reduction in the risk of breast and ovarian cancer, diminished post-partum bleeding and iron deficiency anemia and a natural means of child spacing. Breastfeeding benefits all sectors of society economically, ecologically, and socially.

Women's self confidence in their capacity to nourish their babies has been undermined in recent decades by many factors including the power of the infant formula industry and a lack of social support.

Millions of babies fall ill every year because they are not breastfed. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than 1.5 million infant deaths could be avoided every year if all babies were breastfed.

One of the least known advantages of breastfeeding are the ecological benefits. Breastfeeding requires nothing from the environment except what the mother eats and provides no source of waste or pollution. Artificial baby milks and processed baby foods are non-renewable products which create ecological damage at every stage of their production, distribution, and use.

Breastmilk is the most complete food for human life. It is a living substance which contains almost as many living cells as blood itself. World Breastfeeding Week is an effort to support, protect, and promote breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is a culture that respects the earth, appreciates humanities gift of life and follows nature's way.

For more information about World Breastfeeding Week 2003, check out the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action's website.