Study: Encouraging Breastfeeding in Developing Countries Could Save Lives
The BBC published an article outlining how an emphasis on breastfeeding in developing countries could substantially reduce infant deaths.
The BBC cites a recent Lancet study that found children born to mothers who went through a program designed to encourage breastfeeding had a third lower incidence of diarrhea at six months, and a 15 percent lower incidence at six months than the general population.
Maharaj Bhan of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences told the BBC,
Our findings indicate that promotion of exclusive breastfeeding until age six months in a developing country settling through existing primary-health-care services is feasible, does not lead to growth faltering, and reduces the risk of diarrhea.
Additionally, educational intervention greatly improved the rates of exclusive breastfeeding, as previously indicated by the results of two community-based trials, which assessed the use of peer counselors, and several hospital and clinic based programs.
Apparently significant numbers of mothers in developing countries will give infants water and/or tea based on traditional beliefs. Infants need lots of iron to avoid anemia, and tea tends to inhibit iron absorption.
Source:
Breastfeeding could save lives. The BBC, April 25, 2003.
The Study: Encouraging Breastfeeding in Developing Countries Could Save Lives by Brian Carnell, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 License.
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