News

June 3, 2013

You Have The Right To Breastfeed Anytime, Anywhere in Canada

Alberta’s birth rate is now over 50,000 per year. Around 90 per cent of Alberta women begin breastfeeding. This rate declines very quickly with some areas as low as 5% are exclusively breastfeeding at the six-mark month. A survey of moms in North America and Europe found as many as two thirds said their number one concern about breastfeeding was about breastfeeding in public. A Canadian study of the attitudes of young adults to breastfeeding found two thirds expressed negative or unsupportive views about breastfeeding in public. This leads to the harassment of women and children who breastfeed in public. Read More...

January 22, 2013

The Alberta Breastfeeding Committee would like to share expert information about breastfeeding and Hepatitis C. "Hepatitis C is transmitted by infected blood, not by human breastmilk," says the US Centre for Disease Control. The Public Health Agency of Canada agrees. Please see these links to more information:

http://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/disease/hepatitis.htm

http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/hepc/faq-eng.php#b3

The Baby-Friendly Initiative (BFI) in Canada Status Report 2012.

Prepared by the Breastfeeding Committee for Canada for the Public Health Agency of Canada. Read More...

Source: Canadian Pediatric Society

News Releases & Advisories

June 7, 2012

Canada lagging behind other nations on breastfeeding promotion

LONDON—The Canadian Paediatric Society is urging provinces and territories to promote breastfeeding by developing strategies to implement the World Health Organization’s Baby-Friendly Initiative (BFI).

“There is strong research evidence that the BFI has an impact on supporting breastfeeding, but the number of Canadian hospitals and health care centres that are BFI designated is miniscule,” said Dr. Sharon Unger, co-author of a new statement released today and a member of the CPS Nutrition and Gastroenterology Committee. “We want to see government take a role in facilitating BFI implementation.”

The WHO and UNICEF launched the Baby-Friendly Initiative in 1991 to improve worldwide breastfeeding initiation and duration rates. The core of the BFI is the “Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding,” which requires facilities to have a written breastfeeding policy, to inform all pregnant women about the benefits and management of breastfeeding, to show mothers how to breastfeed and maintain lactation, and to give newborn infants no food or drink other than breast milk, unless medically indicated.

To be accredited as baby-friendly, an institution needs to follow each of the ten steps for at least 80% of all of the women and babies it cares for. Over 20,000 maternity facilities and health centres worldwide have this designation. Only 12 hospitals and birthing centres and 25 community health facilities in Canada are accredited as baby-friendly. Most of the facilities are in Quebec, which has a provincial breastfeeding strategy that includes BFI implementation.

“Breastfeeding is an incredibly important public health initiative that provides advantages not only for babies but also for mothers, families and society,” said Dr. Catherine Pound, co-author of the statement. “For a full-term baby, breast milk is the best source of nutrition and provides protection against life-threatening infections like meningitis, respiratory diseases, ear infections and in the long run provides for a better neurodevelopmental outcome. For preterm babies there are even more added benefits.”

The CPS and Health Canada recommend exclusive breastfeeding for first six months and continued breastfeeding with appropriate complementary foods for up to two years and beyond.

The Canadian Paediatric Society is a national advocacy association that promotes the health needs of children and youth. Founded in 1922, the CPS represents more than 3,000 paediatricians, paediatric subspecialists and other child health professionals across Canada.

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To access the full CPS position statement, visit The Baby-Friendly Initiative: Protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding.

Media inquiries:
Andrée Dion
Media Relations Coordinator
Canadian Paediatric Society
613-526-9397, ext. 247
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

This short extract was taken from "Nutrition in the First 1,000 Days. State of the World’s Mothers 2012”.
Compiled by “Save the Children International”.

Please visit the link below for the full document and make a difference today!

Poor compliance with breastfeeding recommendations costs the world economy billions of dollars each year. In the United States alone, it is estimated that low rates of breastfeeding add $13 billion to medical costs and lead to 911 excess deaths every year. In the United Kingdom, it was estimated in 1995 that the National Health Service spent £35 million per year in England and Wales treating gastroenteritis in formula-fed infants and that, for every 1 percent increase in breastfeeding at 13 weeks, £500,000 would be saved.

The reasons why women don’t breastfeed are varied and complex. In most developed countries, the majority of women report they try to breastfeed, but then at 3 months a significant percentage are not breastfeeding exclusively, and at 6 months many have stopped nursing. Mothers who want to breastfeed may become frustrated by physical challenges or the amount of time required. They may lose confidence if their baby has difficulty latching and there is not a lactation consultant or support group they can turn to for advice. If she has a demanding work schedule, or lack of support at home, a mother may be forced to stop breastfeeding or start using formula sooner than she would like. Breastfeeding practices tend to vary widely across race, ethnicity, education and income levels. Often, disadvantaged mothers breastfeed less that their more privileged counterparts.

State of the World’s Mothers 2012. Read More...

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