August 1 to 7 is commemorated throughout the world as Breastfeeding Week.World Breastfeeding Weekaims to raise awareness about the importance of breastfeeding and to support breastfeeding mothers The theme for 2024 is Closing the gap: Breastfeeding support for all According to UNICEF, 42% of children in Zimbabwe are exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life, while a quartersuffer from chronic malnutrition The World Health Organisation (WHO) notes with concern that low breastfeeding rates are proliferated by the marketing of breast milk and inappropriate complementary foods, putting children’s health at risk both in the short and long term
Globally, exclusive and continued breastfeeding could help prevent 13 per cent of deaths among children under five UNICEF and WHO recommend that childreninitiate breastfeedingwithin the first hour of birth and be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life – meaning no other foods or liquids are provided, including water Infants should be breastfed on demand –as often as the child wants, day and night It is further recommended that children receive complementary foods from 6 months with continued breastfeeding up to 2 years of age or beyond
Breastfeeding is the feeding of a baby with milk produced by the mother’s mammary glands Breast milk is the most natural and complete food for infants Challengesto Breastfeeding in Zimbabwe
How You Can Support Breastfeeding
There are various myths around breastfeeding UNICEF hascompiledsome common ones:
Source: Factcheckzw
