India has a national law - Infant Milk Substitutes Feeding Bottles, and Infant Foods (Regulation of Production, Supply and Distribution) Act - that has placed restrictions on sales of milk substitutes. However, there has been very little awareness created on the benefits of breastfeeding over the years.
According to Dr Arun Gupta from the Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India, the law needs to be enforced more effectively and adequate maternity protection including nine months of paid maternity leave must be introduced.
The Lancet study found that cognitive losses associated with "not'' breastfeeding, which impact earning potential, amount to $302 billion worldwide annually. Extensive marketing by formula makers remains a big barrier to increase the number of breastfed children. Low and middle-income countries lose more than $70 billion annually, while high-income countries lose more than $230 billion annually due to low rates of breastfeeding.
The health benefits extend to the mother as well, with reductions in risk of breast and ovarian cancer. Based on all the existing research and according to new estimates created for this report, rise in breastfeeding could prevent extra 20,000 deaths from breast cancer each year globally.
For India, considering the 7% protection provided by breastfeeding, it translates to preventing 4,915 deaths annually out of 70,000 deaths that occur now.
India has estimated obesity of 20% and breastfeeding provides 26% protection. Increasing breastfeeding could therefore provide 5.2 % reduction in obesity. This could be a useful addition to the effort towards control of non-communicable diseases.
According to Dr Arun Gupta from the Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India, the law needs to be enforced more effectively and adequate maternity protection including nine months of paid maternity leave must be introduced.
The Lancet study found that cognitive losses associated with "not'' breastfeeding, which impact earning potential, amount to $302 billion worldwide annually. Extensive marketing by formula makers remains a big barrier to increase the number of breastfed children. Low and middle-income countries lose more than $70 billion annually, while high-income countries lose more than $230 billion annually due to low rates of breastfeeding.
The health benefits extend to the mother as well, with reductions in risk of breast and ovarian cancer. Based on all the existing research and according to new estimates created for this report, rise in breastfeeding could prevent extra 20,000 deaths from breast cancer each year globally.
For India, considering the 7% protection provided by breastfeeding, it translates to preventing 4,915 deaths annually out of 70,000 deaths that occur now.
India has estimated obesity of 20% and breastfeeding provides 26% protection. Increasing breastfeeding could therefore provide 5.2 % reduction in obesity. This could be a useful addition to the effort towards control of non-communicable diseases.
No comments:
Post a Comment