Baby Nutrition August 1st through 7th Launches World Breastfeeding Week

By Colleen Hurley, RD, Certified Kids Nutrition Specialist The first week of August starts the parental countdown for the first day of school as kids scramble to make the most out of the last precious days of summer. This week also signifies the start of World Breastfeeding Week, (WBW) as sponsored by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action. In 1991, the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) was formed to act on the Innocenti Declaration to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding. WABA envisioned a global unified breastfeeding promotion strategy as part of their action plan to facilitate and strengthen social mobilization for breastfeeding. An international day dedicated to breastfeeding was suggested, and that day turned in a week long observation. As celebrated the first week of August every year (1st-7th), WBW now spans over 120 countries and includes support from UNICEF and the World Health Organization. Each year highlights a different theme, and this years emphasis is on the importance of breastfeeding in emergency situations with the slogan Breastfeeding: A Vital Emergency Response. It is important, as explained by WBW, that when man-made or natural disasters strike that all involved remember the importance of supporting and maintaining breastfeeding of infants affected by the disaster. Objectives of WBW 2009 are: To stress the need for protection and support of breastfeeding before and during emergencies To draw attention to the vital role that breastfeeding plays in emergencies worldwide. To mobilize action and nurture networking and collaboration between those with breastfeeding skills and those involved with emergency response. To inform mothers, breastfeeding advocates, healthcare professionals, aid agencies, governments, communities, and the media on how they can actively support breastfeeding in a time of an emergency These objectives are based on the rationale that children are the most vulnerable during times of emergencies and that breastfeeding provides life saving intervention with greatest protection for the youngest of infants. In addition, mothers need active support to continue or re-establish breastfeeding during a crisis. Breastfeeding provides countless health benefits for both mothers and babies as healthcare experts worldwide unanimously agree that breast is best for the 6 months of life for optimal infant nutrition.