According to new studies, breastfeeding gives the baby a good start, contains all the nutritional components compatible with its needs, and influences its cognitive development. In the long range it has an impact on the prevention of chronic diseases such as: obesity, juvenile diabetes and more.
The Ministry of Health recommends exclusive breastfeeding up to the age of six months and after that breastfeeding combined with food supplements. In the month of June, as part of the Israel breastfeeding week, we conducted in the northern region, in addition to the activity that routinely takes place in the region, extended activities for promoting breastfeeding. These activities included: publication of articles in the written press in Hebrew and Arabic, publication and distribution of material issued by the Ministry of health on eight topics related to breastfeeding, guidance to the public at large in malls throughout the region, training groups for nurses, women before and after childbirth and many interested individuals.
One of the international breastfeeding week central topics is encouraging women to continue nursing after they return to work. Work is not an obstacle to continue nursing. Workplaces should be urged and aided in promoting the subject, in enabling breastfeeding by allocating an adequate place for that purpose while preserving full privacy, enabling pumping and storing of milk in a proper and suitable way, and pointing out the many advantages of safe, well-based and continuous nursing. Providing Information for the employees serves as one of the tools of real cooperation for promoting the subject; information regarding the activity and support of the workplace and creating groups that encourage breastfeeding.
In this week we wish to empower the routine activity conducted in the region and to join the international activity that will engage in recruiting the public at large to the subject of breastfeeding, will point out the importance of exclusive breastfeeding up to six months of age, will encourage workplaces to support and enable breastfeeding, while giving women who call about this subject a real time ”hot line” telephone response.
