The emphasis this year is on the importance of providing mothers and infants with a soft welcome in the first hour or two after birth, supporting the theme established by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Advocacy, "Breastfeeding: The 1st Hour—Save 1 Million Babies."
Mary Aquilino, MSN, PhD, FNP, clinical associate professor in the College of Public Health at The University of Iowa, talks about breastfeeding:
Is breastfeeding still the best way to go for any newborn’s nutrition?
It is the best way. Breast milk is the most complete form of nutrition for babies. There’s just the right amount of fat, sugar, water, and protein needed for optimal growth and development and it’s easier to digest than formula. It also has agents called antibodies that help protect babies from bacteria and viruses. Generally, babies that are breastfed are sick less often, have fewer doctor visits and hospitalizations for things like ear infections, diarrhea, and respiratory illnesses.
As compared to other countries, what is the culture in the US with regard to breastfeeding?
The culture for breastfeeding varies across the globe. There actually have been some initiatives from the World Health Organization and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund to support breastfeeding and ensure that women in maternity care have full information and support to breastfeed. The US has made some progress in creating an atmosphere of support for breastfeeding, but there’s still a lot of work to be done.
Do you believe the media is sending mixed messages when they promote breastfeeding but also promote formula for babies?
Yes, I think there is, both in print media and media on the screen. I think the public needs a clear and consistent message that breast milk is the best nutrition, and that substitution with formula should be discussed with the health care provider and possibly considered before deciding not to breastfeed.
Is there an issue in this culture with breastfeeding in a public place? Why?
It’s very interesting. Americans are generally very uncomfortable with women breastfeeding in public. Advice given to new moms is that they should look for fitting rooms or women’s lounges to feed. Interestingly enough, in the local community in 2004, there was a local restaurant who requested a mom to move to a bathroom because she was making other diners uneasy. This sparked a huge media debate and a series of protests outside the restaurant. We are unusual in that not all cultures view breastfeeding this way. For example, women in Sweden, a country with one of the highest rates of breastfeeding, aren’t forced behind closed doors to feed their babies.
What is your suggestion to a new mom with regard to breastfeeding?
First of all, all new moms should try to breastfeed, and for moms who begin with a positive attitude and good support, they’re highly likely to continue. If a mom’s having difficulty, I would suggest she talk with a lactation consultant or health care provider, or perhaps another woman who has successfully breastfed. There are also a number of community resources available to support moms who breastfeed, such as local support groups for new moms and the La Leche League, an international group dedicated to breastfeeding.
Is there a difference, as far as nutrition is concerned, from getting the milk directly from the mother or milk that has been pumped and stored for an appropriate amount of time?
There really isn’t a difference in nutrition, I think the issue is again at what point in the mom’s feeding that becomes necessary—perhaps when the mom goes back to work. But the actual nutritional quality of the milk is the same.
If the mom feels like her baby is not thriving or would do better on formula, is that a misconception?
Generally yes, if a mom feels her baby is not thriving, she should certainly talk to a health care provider immediately—perhaps the mom just needs more help or support with breastfeeding. However, there are other reasons for failure to thrive that are not necessarily related to feeding.
At what point should moms consider stopping breastfeeding their child?
Actually, the recommendation is that all moms breastfeed their babies exclusively up until six months of age of the infant, and then continue to breastfeed or receive at least breast milk up to one year following that. Beyond a year, there’s no absolute time to discontinue. Most women stop when they find they or their babies are no longer interested or the mother becomes pregnant.
Is there any resource material, Web site, or phone number that a current mother or mother-to-be could use—anything that you’d recommend?
As I mentioned earlier, if they’d Google La Leche League, they will get a lot of information and support in terms of breastfeeding. |
