Exclusive, Extended Breastfeeding Lowers Mother-to-Infant HIV Risk
Zambia
HNN Team
A new study has found that HIV-infected mothers are less likely to transmit the virus to their newborns if they breastfeed their child exclusively for more than four months. The findings have important implications in sub-Saharan Africa.
Breastfeeding Boosts Intelligence
HNN Team
Pre-term infants with low-birth weight that received breast milk improved their brain development scores at 18 months when compared with pre-term infants who were not given breast milk. Follow-up research indicated that the scored held true even at 30 months.
Breast milk can save 97 babies an hour
Uganda, Kenya
HNN Team
Speaking during the release of the report in Nairobi, the head of the Division of Nutrition at the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation, Terry Wefwafwa said that the report is a call to action for Kenyans to rediscover the importance of breastfeeding.
India Bends Curve on Child Health
India
HNN Team
One of the major challenges is that 50% of all child mortality in India happens in the first 28 days of life. A prevalent myth is that to save newborns, sophisticated hospitals and intensive care units are needed. But this isn’t the case, experts say.
Africa: Breastfeeding Prevents Child’s Death
Liberia
HNN Team
The report also calls on governments to make their health systems stronger to promote, protect and support breastfeeding. This, the report said, should include the provision of adequate funding to long term health worker training, recruitment, support and retention.
Food giants still flouting code on promoting baby milk formula in developing countries
Pakistan
HNN Team
Research in Pakistan finds companies giving free gifts and misleading literature to mothers and health workers.
Pakistan: Breastfeeding in first hour of birth can save 53,000 annually: Report
Pakistan
HNN Team
"Despite all the benefits of breastfeeding, just over a quarter of Pakistani children are breastfed exclusively.”
Sharp fall in breastfeeding figures makes Asia Pacific “biggest cause for concern” – report
Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, Pakistan, Philippines, Vietnam
HNN Team
But countries such as India, China, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam “have made no progress on improving exclusive breastfeeding, despite having some of the highest burdens of child mortality,” said the report.
Report: Superfood for Babies
HNN Team
“The earlier moms start breastfeeding the more likely they are to continue breastfeeding for the first six months. And that has tremendous health benefits for babies,” she said.
Breastfeeding most beneficial in ‘power hour’
HNN Team
"It’s that early milk (called colostrum) that’s so important. It has a lot of immunizing powers."