A new WHO Europe study presented at the European Congress Against Obesity held in Glasgow (Scotland) shows that babies who have never been breastfed or who have been for a very short time have an increased risk of become obese during childhood. “The longer a child is breastfed, the more he is protected against obesity. This knowledge can strengthen our prevention efforts.” said Dr Bente Mikkelsen, director of the Division of Noncommunicable Diseases and Health Promotion at WHO.
In France, 38% of babies are not breastfed
While the WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding of babies during the first 6 months their lives, this study shows that the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding is far from the norm in European countries. “In Ireland 46% of children are never breastfed, in France 38% and in Malta 35%” points out the report. This is due to a number of reasons including:
- lack of effective policies to encourage breastfeeding
- a lack of preparation of healthcare professionals to support breastfeeding
- intensive marketing of breast-milk substitutes.
The authors of the study therefore recommend that the national authorities encourage breastfeeding, better train health professionals, supervise the marketing of infant milk manufacturers, but also put in place more protective legislation for breastfeeding.breastfeeding mothers.
Mums, you and your baby will need help with learning to breastfeed (even when you are not a first-time mum). Don’t be afraid to ask for #breastfeeding support! pic.twitter.com/2mhdQvX1rg
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) May 2, 2019
