UNICEF this week voiced alarm at the decline
of breastfeeding across East Asia, and stressed the long-term benefits of
breastfeeding for development in children.
The
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) this week voiced alarm at the decline
of breastfeeding across East Asia, and stressed the need to ensure that mothers
understand the long-term benefits of breastfeeding for development in children.
According
to the agency, evidence shows that exclusive breastfeeding for the first six
months of a baby’s life not only improves their future growth and educational
achievement, but also significantly reduces national health costs and helps
prevent chronic malnutrition.
The low
breastfeeding rates across East Asia result from economic developments that
enable more women to enter the workforce, as well as “aggressive” marketing of
infant formula in the region, said UNICEF.
As
little as five percent of all mothers breastfeed in Thailand, while around ten
percent do so in Viet Nam. In China, only 28 percent of babies are breastfed.
“Mothers
across the region face increasing demands on their time, often have to return
to work early after childbirth, and may have limited opportunities to
breastfeed or express their milk in the workplace,” said UNICEF’s Nutrition
Advisor for East Asia and the Pacific, France Begin.
“At the
same time, baby food companies are targeting the fast-growing economies in East
Asia with aggressive marketing campaigns, persuading mothers to give up
breastfeeding and purchase their products despite the drawbacks for their
children,” she added.
To help
stem the decline in breastfeeding rates in the region, UNICEF is calling on
baby food companies to adhere to the International Code of Marketing of
Breastmilk Substitutes. The Code does not ban the sale of formulas, only the
marketing practices that entice mothers to replace their breastmilk with
commercial substitutes.
“When
companies adhere to the Code of Marketing it will be easier for mothers to make
an informed choice,” noted Ms. Begin. “No formula can substitute the importance
of breastmilk for children’s survival, growth, and development.”
UNICEF
is also working closely with businesses in the region to ensure that women can
enjoy the right to adequate maternity leave and nursing breaks.
Source: United Nations.
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