This week St. Lucia joins the rest of the world in celebration of World
Breastfeeding Week. It is observed annually from August 1 st to 7 th and is
a global campaign to raise awareness about the importance of
breastfeeding. The aim is to positively influence policy-makers,
employees, and families, and to encourage mothers to breast-feed their
infants. The theme for this year is “Enabling Breastfeeding: Making a
Difference for Working Parents.”
Breastfeeding is part of good nutrition for infants from birth to 2 years
and beyond. Exclusive breastfeeding is encouraged from birth to 6
months, as breast milk provides all the nutrition a baby needs at this
stage. After 6 months, mothers are encouraged to continue breastfeeding
whilst gradually introducing solid foods to babies.
Support to breastfeeding mothers from partners, family, friends, and
care-givers is essential to achieve successful breastfeeding. Employers,
you can support breastfeeding by providing mothers time and a place to
breastfeed their babies and store the breast milk. Flexible schedules to
accommodate breastfeeding, which will reduce separation of women
from their babies after maternity leave can also be considered. .
As a country with a high prevalence of NCDs, breastfeeding can be a
simple act of prevention. There is evidence that breastfeeding reduces
the risk of some cancers; type 2 diabetes, obesity, hypertension and
cardiovascular diseases.