SEATTLE — This year’s World Breastfeeding Week (WBW), which occurred at the beginning of August, has brought to light the benefits of breastfeeding and how it can contribute to meeting the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. The theme for the 2016 WBW was “Breastfeeding: a key to sustainable development,” and aimed to inform individuals about the link between breastfeeding and development, as well as engage an array of stakeholders to take action with supporting mothers who decide to breastfeed.
Breastfeeding helps to fight malnutrition and has additional health, economic and environmental benefits. According to a study published by Science Magazine, the first two years of life are the most significant for childhood development, and breastmilk provides nutrients that generate a healthy microbiota and reduce susceptibility to contracting diseases. Breastfeeding could thus help reduce infant mortality rates as well as stunted growth.
Healthy development supported by breastfeeding also supports brain development. In addition to reduced health risks that could keep children out of school, breastfed children generally have a higher IQ than those who are not breastfed, by a couple of points. Additionally, breastfeeding protects maternal health by reducing the risk of breast and ovarian cancer.
In addition to health benefits, there are many other benefits of breastfeeding because it is a low-cost method of providing healthy nutrients for infants and it does not create significant additional costs for families the way artificial feeding does. Furthermore, paid maternity leave and breastfeeding breaks are investments that yield high returns. While maternity leave and breastfeeding breaks can create relatively short-term reductions in productivity from working mothers, the reduction in productivity from women not given paid maternity leave and breastfeeding breaks can be far greater. Since children who are not breastfed are at much greater risk for malnourishment and disease contraction, their parent’s are more likely to have to take time off from work and pay costly medical bills.
Environmentally speaking, breastfeeding creates no greenhouse gasses, while the production of formula does, which contributes to global warming and climate change. Moreover, breastfeeding does not come with the waste that packaging for artificial feeding requires. Climate change makes weather patterns more volatile and increases the risk of natural disasters, which would lead to increased food insecurity.
According to The World Bank, even though the benefits of breastfeeding are plentiful, less than 40 percent of infants six months old or younger are exclusively breastfed by their mothers. Women around the world face numerous barriers which prevent them from breastfeeding: inaccurate information about breastfeeding from health providers, lack of support at home, gender inequality, a necessity to return to work due to lack of paid maternity leave and rampant marketing for feeding substitutes.
In a joint statement, UNICEF and WHO expressed the need for collaboration with regard to protecting and promoting breastfeeding: “For only greater political commitment matched with practical action can make breastfeeding a part of every child’s healthy start in life, and every society’s healthier, more equitable — and thus, more sustainable — future.”
– Laura Isaza
Photo: Flickr