Fewer working women breastfeeding babies
NEGATIVE TREND: Many feeding babies with milk substitutes
Sept 25: There has been a drastic decline in the number of working women breastfeeding newborns in the first six months, also called Exclusive Breast Feeding (EBF), which has been a cause of concern for over the last decade, said a Unicef representative.
“The situation (working women breastfeeding the babies) has hardly changed in the last four to five years,” Steve Atwood, Consultant for the Unicef, told the Observer.
“This situation is posing a challenge to the development of future workforce as lack of compulsory breastfeeding can affect individuals in the long run,” said Steve. On the other hand, the number of mothers feeding babies with breastmilk substitutes (BMS) has risen from 53.4 per cent in 2006 to 86.8 per cent now, said Steve, also an associate professor of public health in Bangkok.
Speaking on the sidelines of the nationwide initiative of the Department of Nutrition at the Ministry of Health (MoH), titled ‘Developing a Baby-Friendly Health Initiative (BFHI)’, he said the decline in number of working women breastfeeding babies and increase in the use of BMS is “not because Omani women don’t want to or are unable to breastfeed their children”.
“In 2014, 94.7 per cent breastfeeding at birth was reported and 99.6 per cent breastfeeding at some time. Nor is the decrease in number (of breastfeeding working women) a result of neglect of the problem.” The MoH’s five-year plan of action (2011-2015) on promotion and management of infant and young child nutrition included a strategy to revitalise BFHI. The objective: 100 per cent of targeted health institutions to be accredited as BFHI institutions by end of the plan year.
The National Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes of 1998, which adheres to the International Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes, envisages safe and adequate nutrition for all infants.
“We are aiming at supporting mothers with early and exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months in order to build emotional and physical bond between the mother and the baby and make Oman a baby-friendly destination,” Dr Amal Ibrahim, Head of Department of Nutrition, said.