Exclusive breastfeeding up to six months has been recommended for years as an ideal diet for all babies, however breastfeeding rates indicate that few children reach these recommendations.
The National Health Survey conducted in 2006 in Spain by the Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs showed the following figures:
At 6 weeks of age, 68.4% of the babies were breastfed with natural breastfeeding (the same survey in 2001 indicated 61%), 2.27% received mixed breastfeeding (natural and artificial) and 29.34% They were fed artificial milk.
At 3 months the babies were fed with breast milk in 52.48%, with mixed breastfeeding 10.83% and with artificial milk 36.7%.
To the 6 months, at which time breastfeeding is recommended exclusively, only 24.72% of babies (one in four) were breastfed (in the 2001 survey they were 23.6%), by 14.03% of babies with mixed breastfeeding and 61 , 25% of babies fed with artificial milk.
The conclusion drawn is that the rates of exclusive breastfeeding have improved very slightly. Despite the increase, the rates remain very low, as in most European Union countries.
In a document of “Recommended feeding standards for the EU” we can see what are the most frequent reasons that prevent, at European level, a desirable start and maintenance of breastfeeding for the health of babies:
• Insufficient quality and coverage of prenatal education about feeding infants and young children: Many mothers receive a very complete and valuable education, however many others do not attend pre-delivery classes or do not receive useful and updated information. This causes few mothers who really have correct information about breastfeeding functioning.
• Inappropriate policies and practices in hospital maternity hospitals: The use of obsolete protocols in which mother-child contact is not allowed from the first moment, be it vaginal delivery or by caesarean section, the administration of bottles before the first intake of breast milk (usually without the mother's knowledge or consent), the contradiction of recommending breastfeeding and giving away a bottle of milk "just in case" ...
• Lack of timely follow-up and competent support: Although some women will decide to breastfeed for a limited period of time and others will not even begin breastfeeding, there is evidence that many women are disappointed that they have not been able to prolong breastfeeding for a longer period.
Hamlyn (2002) reports that 87% of mothers who interrupted breastfeeding within six weeks after birth would have wanted to continue breastfeeding for longer. Of the mothers who breastfed for at least six months, 37% would have preferred to continue for longer.
It is necessary that after delivery the nursing mother receives adequate support and information from the professionals and the closest environment to feel accompanied, heard and helped.
• Bad information and lack of guidance and encouragement from health professionals: Unfortunately, very few are trained and updated and often, instead of helping or fixing, they spoil.
A recommendation for all mothers who wish to breastfeed or who are having problems is to go to a breastfeeding support group. Incredible as it may seem, they have more training and information than many pediatricians (there are such “powerful” groups that the pediatricians themselves consult or suggest to the mothers) and the mothers find a corner where they can explain their concerns and where they are heard.
• Lack or under compliance with the International Code of Marketing of Human Milk Substitutes: Give samples of formula milk (either the health personnel, either in a pharmacy, or ...), have posters and stands full of samples in sight at the health centers, offers or discounts of milk Start in supermarkets, etc.
• Early return to work in the absence of facilities and support for breastfeeding in the workplace: The withdrawal ends at 16 weeks and few mothers can afford to extend this period to at least six months (although the more the better), inability to extract and store milk in the workplace, etc.
• Little family and social support: Lack of logistic support when it is most needed (house cleaning, washing machines, etc.). Mothers end up feeling they need to be Superwoman to reach everything and little by little the glass is filled to the point of looking for alternatives (that dad gives bottles to the baby) that end breastfeeding.
• The representation in the media of bottle feeding as the norm: We still drag the image of the bottle as an indispensable element and as an identifier of everything that has to do with babies (bottle as a logo of nursing rooms, bottle included in toy babies, on the covers of baby books, in bibs , etc.).
Hopefully, little by little, all these points will be solved so that breastfed children so exclusive up to six months, which are now a minority, become a majority, as recommended for your health.
