World Breastfeeding Week 2022: ‘Breastfeeding keeps kids healthy, prevents breast cancer’

Every year, from August 1 to 7, the world observes World Breastfeeding Week to promote breastfeeding and enhance infant health. The week was originally observed by about 70 countries, but today 170 nations do so. This day honours the Innocenti Declaration, which was signed in August 1990 by representatives of the WHO, UNICEF, and other organisations to save, encourage, and promote breastfeeding. According to the WHO, breastfed children are healthier and smarter. Furthermore, compared to those who aren't, their odds of being overweight, obese, and susceptible todiabetes are considerably lower, ANI reported.

Step Up for Breastfeeding: Educate and Support is this year’s World Breastfeeding Week theme.

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As per WHO statistics, two out of every three babies are not breastfed. Thus, it becomes more important to mark this day.

As per many, breast milk is the best meal for the newborn since it containsantibodies that help to avoid many common paediatric illnesses. Not only this, as per certain research, breastfeeding lowers the risk of type-2 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease, and high blood pressure in women. Breastfeeding is considered to be a crucial element in a baby’s healthy growth and development.

According to Dr. Neharika Malhotra, consultant, gynaecology, increased breastfeeding, could prevent 20,000 maternal deaths annually from breast cancer as per the WHO estimates. She further added, "Therefore, we need to promote the importance of more family-friendly policies to protect and support breastfeeding. More would-be mothers should be subjected to counselling so that the practice of breastfeeding should be inculcated right from the beginning."

According to the World Health Assembly, there should be a 50 per cent increase in the rate of exclusive breastfeeding worldwide by 2025.

(With inputs from agencies)

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