Friday, February 21, 2025 | Sha'ban 21, 1446 H
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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Breastfeeding must for infant's well-being

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Breastfeeding a baby is one of the most overwhelming experiences a mother can have. It’s very essential for an infant as well as a mother and hence, the world celebrates World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) from August 1 to August 7 every year, to spread awareness about its importance and need.


The World Health Organization (WHO) recognises breast milk as the best nutritional source for infants.


WHO and Unicef recommend that an infant must be breastfed within an hour of birth and should continue at least for the first six months of the child’s life.


However, ideally, breastfeeding should continue till the age of two to ensure the healthy growth and development of the child. World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated to encourage women to breastfeed for the all-around development of a child.


Breastfeeding provides the optimal nutrition for babies and it has a lot of benefits for infants’ physical and mental health lasting right into adulthood, as well for the mothers’ physical health. It has the right amount of nutrients, is easily digested, and is readily available.


WBW started in 1992, with annual themes including healthcare systems, women and work, the International Code of Marketing of Breast milk Substitutes, community support, ecology, economy, science, education and human rights. Since 2016, WBW is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In 2018, a World Health Assembly resolution endorsed WBW as an important breastfeeding promotion strategy.


The theme of World Breastfeeding Week 2021 is ‘’Protect breastfeeding: a shared responsibility’’ which will focus on how breastfeeding contributes to the survival, health and well-being of all, and the imperative to protect breastfeeding worldwide.


Although support at the individual level is very important, breastfeeding must be considered a public health issue that requires investment at all levels. The concept of ‘building back better’ which means that we can return in a better way after the Covid-19 pandemic will provide an opportunity to create a warm chain of support for breastfeeding that includes health systems, workplaces and communities at all levels of society.


It should be noted that in Oman, the Omani Code for Marketing Breast Milk Substitutes was issued in 1998 to protect breastfeeding. Then the Nutrition Department updated the code, and it was issued by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Investment Promotion in May and was named “Omani Standard Specification for Regulating Classified Products for Infants and Young Children’’ to stop inappropriate marketing of breast milk substitutes.


The provisions of the specification were based on what was included in the International Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes, which was approved by the WHO and Unicef.


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