UNICEF Aktion
www.unicef.org

Originaltext

Infant feeding and care

Breastmilk is the perfect food for a baby’s first six months of life, benefiting children no matter where in the world they live. UNICEF and the World Health Organization are working to promote breastfeeding in order to save and enrich the lives of children everywhere.

If every baby were exclusively breastfed from birth, an estimated 1.5 million lives would be saved – and enhanced – every year. Breastfeeding protects babies from diarrhoea and acute respiratory infections, stimulates their immune systems and response to vaccinations, and contains hundreds of health-enhancing antibodies and enzymes.


Breastfeeding creates a special bond between mother and baby. Breastfed babies tend to receive more attention and stimulation, which helps their growth and development and gives them a sense of well-being and security. And breastfeeding also benefits the mother’s health, helping the uterus to contract soon after delivery, thus reducing chances for prolonged bleeding. It also reduces the mother’s risk of ovarian and breat cancer.
Breastfeeding eliminates the expense of infant formula and the incalculable emotional and economic cost of illness and death resulting from problems associated with artificial feeding. In many countries, feeding a child on commercial breastmilk can cost more than the average annual income of a village family. Breastfeeding can also help families with child spacing by delaying the resumption of ovulation after childbirth.
UNICEF and the World Health Organization are working to promote breastfeeding through the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, which ensures that hospitals become centers of breastfeeding support. A hospital is designated as “baby-friendly” when it has agreed not to accept free or low-cost breastmilk substitutes, feeding bottles or teats, and to implement 10 specific steps to support breastfeeding.
Breastmilk substitutes are expensive, inferior and, if not used safely, can pose a great danger to infants’ health. Yet they are aggressively advertised and marketed by many of the companies that manufacture them. In 1981, the World Health Assembly adopted the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes, which sets out the responsibilities of companies, health workers, governments and concerned organizations with regard to the marketing of breastmilk substitutes, feeding bottles or teats.
The Code stipulates that there should be absolutely no promotion of breastmilk substitutes, bottles and teats to the general public; that neither health facilities nor health professionals should have a role in promoting breastmilk substitutes; and that free samples should not be provided to pregnant women, new mothers or families. The code, along with subsequent WHA resolutions, is intended as a minimum standard and should be implemented through national legislation, regulation or other suitable measures.

Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative

Ten steps to successful breastfeeding

Facilities providing maternity services and care for newborn infants should follow these ten steps to successful breastfeeding.

Ref: Protecting, promoting and supporting breast-feeding: the special role of maternity services. Joint WHO/UNICEF Statement. Geneva, 1989.


Quelle:
www.unicef.org
www.unicef.org/programme/nutrition/infantfe/index.html
www.unicef.org/programme/nutrition/infantfe/tensteps.htm

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