Breastfeeding has lifesaving benefits, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said.
"Investing
in breastfeeding has a significant impact on the health of women and
children and on the economies of both rich and poor countries," said
UNICEF Chief of Nutrition Werner Schultink, citing a new series
published by the weekly medical journal, The Lancet.
"The
(Lancet) series provides crucial evidence for the case that
breastfeeding is a cornerstone of children's survival, health, growth
and development and contributes to a more prosperous and sustainable
future," he said.
The study found that breastfeeding saves babies lives, reducing the risk of sudden infant deaths and intestinal diseases.
It
also highlighted the economic benefits of breastfeeding and called on
governments to support mothers with policies such as a minimum of
14-week maternity leave. It found that countries lost over 500 billion
dollars annually because of a loss in cognitive ability which led to
reduced earning capacity for people who had not been breastfed as
babies.
In
China, the study found that breastfeeding had decreased by five percent
between 2003 and 2008 and that a ten percent increase in breastfeeding
could reduce treatment costs of childhood disorders by about 30 million
dollars in urban China alone.
UNICEF,
which contributed to the Lancet series, said the study showed that
breastfeeding can help achieve the UN's Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs).
The
SDGs are a set of 17 economic, social and environmental goals all UN
member states have agreed to work towards achieving by the year 2030.
"Breastfeeding
is the most natural, cost effective, environmentally sound and readily
available way we know to provide all children, rich or poor, with the
healthiest start in life," said Schultink. "It's a win-win for all
concerned to make it a priority."
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