OVER VIEW

Breast feeding is organized and promoted worldwide by the WABA (World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action), WHO (World Health Organization) and UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund) to get the goal of elite breastfeeding by mother for their baby of first six months in order to get the incredible health benefits, to fulfill the all vital nutrients, to encourage mother for the healthy growth and development of their child, to guard them from the lethal health problems and diseases including neonatal jaundice, pneumonia, cholera and many more.

It was first started and celebrated by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action in the year 1992. And later it is being celebrated in more than 120 countries by the UNICEF, WHO and their participants such as individuals, associations and governments. World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action was also established in the year 1991 at 14^th of Feb to promote the comprehensive breastfeeding culture worldwide by providing the support and achieve the real goal.

Aims of the Breast Feeding Campaign

> To make aware the peer group to support mothers in order to establish and carry on the breastfeeding.

> To initiate the breastfeeding supporters to be trained to provide support to mothers and babies in more effective ways.

> To make aware the people to attend and expand the Peer Counseling programmes by letting them know the effective and efficient benefits of the Peer Counseling.

> To call on the governments to get more and worldwide maternity facilities in order to increase the rate and duration of elite breastfeeding.

> To discover the contacts of the neighboring community support so that breastfeeding mothers can go them to get help and support after delivery.

There are five circles of support from which a mother should get assistance for breast feeding. A woman is surrounded by these circles of support which are Family and Social Network, Workplace and Employment, Government or Legislation, Healthcare and Response to Crisis or Emergency.

Key message

• Start breast feeding within the first hour after birth
• Do not give anything to your baby even water until the baby is 6 months. Brest milk is enough for the baby on demand (day and night) to promote healthy growth and development.
• Introduce other foods to your baby at six months because the baby need extra food for health growth and development.
• Continue breast feeding up to 2 years

Importance of breast feeding

• Brest milk contains all the food nutrients including water. It is the ideal food for the baby.
• Brest milk is always ready, it does not require preparation
• Brest milk is free from infections
• Brest milk protected the baby from infections
• Brest milk is cheap breast feeding enable the mother and the baby to bond
• Brest feeding can stop bleeding or Post protean hemorrhage (PPH) when started immediately after child birth.
• Brest feeding can prevent conception within the 6 months for some mother.

Key message on Good hygiene practice

• Hand washing before food preparation with clean running water and soap or ash
• Hand washing after visiting the latrine and after cleaning baby’s bottom
• Hand washing before and after eating food and before breast feeding the baby
• Washing utensils clean with soap and water
• Bathing every day both baby and the mother

• Here is a reason why virtually every country around the world observes World Breastfeeding Week every year: Breastfeeding is one of the most effective — and cost-effective — ways to save and improve the lives of children everywhere, yielding lifelong health benefits for infants and their mothers.
• Supporting breastfeeding is one of the smartest investments countries can make in the wellbeing of their citizens.
• Breastfeeding is one of the keys to reducing under-five mortality. Increasing rates of breastfeeding to target levels could save the lives of 820,000 children under 5 — 87 percent of them infants 6 months old and younger — every year. This represents around 13 percent of all under-five child deaths annually.
• Breastfeeding also improves long-term health, decreasing the risk of non-communicable diseases, including childhood asthma and obesity. It can reduce the chance of diabetes and heart disease later in life. And longer duration of breastfeeding protects maternal health, helping reduce the risk of breast and ovarian cancers.
• Breastfeeding is an essential part of a healthy early childhood — supporting both physical and cognitive development. It is associated with higher cognitive ability, increased I.Q. scores and better learning and literacy outcomes — all of which can translate into increased productivity and earnings later in life.

• We can make faster progress toward all our development goals by better promoting, protecting and supporting breastfeeding. Breastfeeding must be a policy, programming, and public spending priority. action can make breastfeeding a part of every child’s healthy start in life, and every society’s healthier, more equitable — and thus, more sustainable – future.

Activity I: Awareness programme on “Breastfeeding” for mothers and caregivers:
An interactive health education session on “Breast feeding, positioning technique and its importance” to the mothers. Mothers were educated on the breast feeding the premature babies, physiology of lactation, how breast milk works, latching Vs. bonding, positions, care of breast before and after feed, contents of breast milk, expressing breast milk, difficulties encountered and its treatment, nutrition for mother and advantages of breast feeding to the mother and baby. Eight mothers and their family members actively participated in this session and benefitted out of teaching. Concerns of the mothers were clarified during the session. 

Activity II: Peer Counselling:
To enhance peer support for breastfeeding and encourage peer counselling, a training session on breast feeding, its importance and how to promote breast feeding in family and community was taken by Nebiyu Lera for women Eight mothers participated in the session and showed their interest to counsel other mothers on the importance of breast feeding and the positioning techniques. The session was interactive and the mothers appreciated the initiative and were willing to do peer counselling. 

The target group:

CUAMM will target pregnant and lactating women

The elderly women

The mothers support group and other members of the community