WORLD BREASTFEEDING WEEK
Did you know that communities around the world celebrated World Breastfeeding Week, starting Aug. 1? The theme of this year’s celebration, “Breastfeeding – Just Ten Steps: The Baby Friendly Way,” refers to the 10 practices that, when implemented in maternity care settings, have been shown to enable mothers to achieve their breastfeeding intentions (Declerq et al, AJPH, 2009) and support breastfeeding success. These practices, known as the “Ten Steps,” were endorsed by WHO, UNICEF, USAID and Sida, and approved by 30 countries, including the United States, at the Innocenti Meeting on the Protection, Promotion and Support of Breastfeeding, Aug. 1, 1990.
The Carolina Global Breastfeeding Institute was honored to be invited to prepare the text this year for the annual calendar and the global Action Folder, offering ideas for communities and individuals who wish to enable women to succeed in their breastfeeding intentions.
Why the Ten Steps? Maternity practices can make or break the initiation of breastfeeding. In the United States, the Breastfeeding Report Card notes if hospitals are certified as baby-friendly, but to have impact, it is most important to increase the number of Steps in place.
What else could a community do to support women who wish to breastfeed? In addition to the health care system, breastfeeding support is needed in the workplace, and there is a toolkit to help (http://www.womenshealth.gov/breastfeeding/government-programs/business-case-for-breastfeeding/index.cfm). In fact, this year, the North Carolina Breastfeeding Coalition celebrated the week by holding events in each region of the state to recognize those businesses that had mother/baby friendly practices. Chair of NCBC, Dr. Laura Sinai, offered a clear explanation on the news (http://www.foxcharlotte.com/rising/Mommy-Minded-Businesses-100030924.html).
Julie Ware led a weeklong celebration in Memphis and all of Shelby County, Tenn., and invited me along to participate in two days of symposia and other events, include two perhaps less formal news interviews on related topics (http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/dpp/good_morning/080310-breastfeeding-in-an-emergency; http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/dpp/good_morning/080510-world-breast-feeding-week).
The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action is also sponsoring a conference this year to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Innocenti Meeting in October 2010. Your attendance is most welcome! (http://www.waba.org.my/events/wabaevents/GBPM2010/index.htm).
This year, we look forward to long anticipated Surgeon General’s new Call for Action on Breastfeeding. Internationally, WABA’s work continues. So, perhaps, next year, we will see an APHA-wide and global celebration of World Breastfeeding Week, and more mothers everywhere enabled to do what is best for their health and the health of their baby, and to breastfeed exclusively for six months, followed by continued breastfeeding with age-appropriate responsive complementary feeding. It is Best for Babes (which is also the name of a wonderful new organization for the new mom, http://www.bestforbabes.org/)and Best for Moms!
--Miriam H Labbok, MD, MPH, FACPM, IBCLC, FABM, Chair IH Section, Professor, Department of Maternal and Child Health, Director, Carolina Global Breastfeeding Institute (CGBI),
http://www.sph.unc.edu/breastfeeding/