Brief
World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated every year from August 1st – 7th to encourage breastfeeding and improve the health of infants around the world.
On the occasion of “ World Breastfeeding Week” from the 1st till the 7th of August, Abu Dhabi Public Health Center in Collaboration with Mediclinic Hospital and Danat El Emarat hospital are delighted to invite you to attend the virtual sessions, For more information about Workshops, Press Here
Goals of World Breastfeeding Week
- Spreading breastfeeding awareness and support it locally and globally.
- Advocating breastfeeding as a smart decision
- Engagement with individuals and organizations to achieve greater impact.
In the World Breastfeeding Week, Abu Dhabi Public Health center stresses on the importance of empowering parents to enable breastfeeding in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, and that is because of its importance in providing protection against diseases, especially viruses.
- Given the importance of breastfeeding on the health of mothers and children, Abu Dhabi Public Health center advocates to support Breastfeeding through enabling families, communities, Healthcare providers and employers to make breastfeeding an easy choice.
key messages for a mother whowants to breastfeed but is scared about passing COVID-19 to herinfant.
Especially in a pandemic, breastfeeding and mothers milk remains the most important immunological defense and nutritional foundation available to a newborn baby.it strengthens the immune system by directly transferring antibodies from the mother to newborn baby.
- Breastfeeding provides protection against diseases, the most important of which are viruses. Continue to give your child your milk even if you infected with Covid-19 virus, with the need to adhere to all precautions, which include wearing a medical mask when breastfeeding, washing hands before and after contact with the child and cleaning contaminated surfaces
- Breastfeeding and skin-to-skin contact significantly reduce the risk of death in newborns and young infants and provide immediate and lifelong health and development advantages. Breastfeeding also reduces the risk of breast and ovarian cancer for the mother.
- Newborns and infants are at low risk of COVID-19 infection. Among the few cases of confirmed COVID-19 infection in young children, most haveexperienced only mild or asymptomatic illness.
- The numerous benefits of breastfeeding substantially outweigh the potential risks of transmission and illness associated with COVID-19
- COVID-19 has not been detected in the breastmilk of any mother with confirmed/suspected COVID-19 and there is no evidence so far that the virus is transmitted through breastfeeding.
For healthcare workers, maternal nurses, lactation consultants
Breastfeed is important, and we must focus on providing the best support for those wo plan to and those who are breastfeeding. Its one of the most important responsibility we have collectively
Breast milk provides protections against many respiratory diseases, including influenza (flu). A mother with suspected or confirmed flu should take all possible precautions to avoid spreading the virus to her infant while continuing to provide breast milk to her infant.
Breast milk contains high levels of antibodies and anti-immune compounds. When the mother is exposed to a viral or bacterial infection, the mother’s body begins to produce antibodies, which in turn are excreted into breast milk, and the child takes it through breastfeeding.”
What Mums Can do ?
Before your baby is born Get the facts on breastfeeding, Speake with your Health Care worker about:
- how you plan to feed your baby.
- know the benefits of breastfeeding for you and your baby
When your baby’s is born, You’ll need help with learning to breastfeed and so well your baby . Don’t be afraid to ask for help!
your Health Care worker is there to:
- Encourage skin to skin contact between you and your baby soon after birth.
- Help you to recognize the signs when your baby is ready to feed.
- Show you how to position your baby at the breast.
While breastfeeding is natural, it can take time to learn, and it really helps to get continuous support from your family and your Health Care worker
If you face any problem, don’t hesitate to seek help so that breastfeeding is a positive experience.
What family and friends can do ?
- Provide emotional support and practical help.
- Take care of big brothers and sisters.
- Listen and be supportive, Boost mum is confident in breastfeeding.
Frequently Asked Questions: Breastfeeding and COVID-19
Can COVID-19 be passed through breastfeeding?
Transmission of active COVID-19 (virus that can cause infection) through breast milk and breastfeeding has not been detected to date.
There is no reason to avoid or stop breastfeeding
Following delivery, should a baby still be immediately placed skin-to-skin and breastfed if the mother is confirmed/suspected to have COVID-19?
Yes. Immediate and continued skin-to-skin care, including mother care, improves the temperature control of newborns and is associated with improved survival among newborn babies. Placing the newborn close to the mother also enables early initiation of breastfeeding which also reduces mortality.
The numerous benefits of skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding substantially outweigh the potential risks of transmission and illness associated with COVID-19
If a mother is confirmed/suspected to have Covid-19 should she continue breastfeeding?
Yes. Women with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 can breastfeed if they wish to do so. They should:
- Wash hands frequently with soap and water or use alcohol-based hand rub and especially before touching the baby
- Wear a medical mask during any contact with the baby, including while feeding;
- Sneeze or cough into a tissue. Then dispose of it immediately and wash hands again;
- Routinely clean and disinfect surfaces that mothers have touched.
- It is important to replace medical masks as soon as they become damp and dispose of them immediately. Masks should not be reused or touched in the front.
I have confirmed or suspected COVID-19 and am too unwell to breastfeed my baby directly What Can I do?
If you are too unwell to breastfeed your baby due to COVID-19 or other complications, you should be supported to safely provide your baby with breast milk in a way possible, available, and acceptable to you. This could include:
Expressing milk;
If expressing breast milk is not feasible then consider wet nursing (another woman breastfeeds the child) or infant formula milk with measures to ensure that it is feasible, correctly prepared, safe and sustainable.
Recommendations:
- Early initiation of breastfeeding within one hour of birth.
- Exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a baby's life.
- Continued breastfeeding up to two years of age or beyond, with the introduction of nutritionally-adequate and safe complementary (solid) foods at six months.
For awareness materials , Click Here