Cape Town -
Breastfeeding can prevent the deaths of more than 800 000 children and mothers, says the new Lancet Series on breastfeeding.
The Lancet Series is a compilation of research in the Lancet medical journal.
The series, which represents the most in-depth analysis done so far into the health and economic benefits that breast-feeding can produce, says breast milk makes the world healthier, smarter and more equal.
The research, compiled by health experts from around the world, shows that the scaling up of breastfeeding could prevent 823 000 annual deaths in children younger than five years and 20 000 annual deaths from breast cancer.
The series also highlights the benefits of breastfeeding resulting in fewer infections, increased intelligence and probable protection against becoming overweight and diabetes.
The largest individual level analysis on this topic included about 50 000 patients with cancer. It was found that each 12-month increase in lifetime breastfeeding was associated with a reduction of three to four percent in the incidence of invasive breast cancer.
A meta-analysis of 41 studies on breast-feeding and ovarian cancer also showed a 30 percent reduction associated with longer periods of breastfeeding.
Globally, the prevalence of breast-feeding at 12 months is highest in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and parts of Latin America, the study says.
It asserts that breast-feeding is one of the few health-positive behaviours more common in poor countries than rich ones.
In low-income countries, most infants are still breast-fed at one year, compared to less than 20 percent in many high-income countries and less than one percent in the UK.
The study says that the reasons why women avoid or stop breast-feeding range from the medical, cultural and psychological to physical discomfort and inconvenience, with many mothers turning to a bottle of formula milk.
“Multiplied across populations and involving multinational commercial interests, this situation has catastrophic consequences on breast-feeding rates and the health of subsequent generations,” the study says.
Andre Lewak, from Sonke Gender Justice, said the government needs to develop more progressive policies that support breast-feeding during working hours and in public spaces.
“Government has done this with smoking policies and it is important that it shows the same commitment to encourage breast-feeding in public spaces because it is in the best interest of both women and children,” he said.
Lewak said the evidence was clear that breast-feeding is beneficial for both mother and child from a maternal and child health perspective, adding that education on breast-feeding is as vital for fathers as it is for mothers.
“Fathers are often excluded from breast feeding education by healthcare professionals.”
Cape Times