Longer breast-feeding term, support for mothers urged

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The Department of Health (DOH) has urged mothers to practice exclusive breast-feeding up to six months as it noted the low breast-feeding rate in the country, which is contributing to the high infant mortality rate.

“Globally, exclusive breast-feeding rates are very low but it’s even lower here in the Philippines—only 28 percent,” said Health Assistant Secretary Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubial, citing the National Nutrition Survey 2013.

The DOH recommends exclusive breast-feeding even for working mothers.

According to Ubial, the Philippine figures contribute to the 800,000 infant deaths worldwide.

Statistics from the National Demographic and Health Survey and the National Nutrition Survey showed minimal increase in the proportion of infants who had been exclusively breast-fed up to 5 months old—from 22.6 percent in 2008 to 28.3 percent in 2013.

“The situation in the country is very precarious. A lot more needs to be done, we need to work together to ensure the health of the next generation of Filipinos,” Ubial said during Thursday’s Breast-feeding Summit in celebration of National Breast-feeding Awareness Month.

“Fifty percent of the infant deaths could have been avoided by exclusive breast-feeding and continuous breast-feeding alone. That’s how great the impact of breast-feeding is on the health and well-being of children,” she said.

The DOH said the 2012 World Health Assembly Resolution aimed to increase the rate of exclusive breast-feeding in the first six months to at least 50 percent by 2025.

In a statement, Health Secretary Janette Garin said that in order to increase exclusive breast-feeding and reduce infant and child mortality, the 2011-2016 Infant and Young Child Feeding Strategic Plan of Action aims to achieve the goal of having 90 percent of newborns initiated into breast-feeding within one hour after birth.

“A study showed that if early initiation of breast-feeding is done, there will be a greater chance to continue exclusive breast-feeding in the first six months of life,” Garin said.

With the theme “Tama, Sapat, Eksklusibo ang Pagpapasuso kahit nasa Trabaho” (Breast-feeding and Work, Let’s Make it Work), the DOH emphasized the importance of supporting women in the workplace who practice exclusive breast-feeding.–Tina G. Santos