I chose breastfeeding as my topic of focus. As I looked at the list, it immediately sparked my interest. I have a friend who is a huge advocate for breastfeeding and it's benefits. Until recently, I did not give breastfeeding much thought and did not realize the controversy and the need for advocacy for this topic. I knew it was "good" for babies and brain development and that it helped mom burn extra calories but couldn't tell you much beyond that. Through my research, I was able to explore many resources and take an in depth look at the host of breastfeeding benefits. For example, immediately after birth, breastfeeding provides infants with colostrum or "pre- milk" that contains antibodies and all necessary essential nutrients for baby. Breastfeeding exclusively for the first three months can reduce babies chances of childhood diseases, respiratory illness and gastrointestinal illness. It also has a positive economic impact in that with less illness, comes less money paid out by families for medical bills. Psychologically and emotionally, the skin to skin contact fosters secure attachment of infant and caregiver.
As I looked over the breastfeeding statics both at a national and global level, I was surprised to learn that despite the research on benefits, the United States ranked in the bottom 5 countries for babies that are breastfed at 3 or more months old. 74% of mom's attempt to breastfeed at birth, 33% are still breastfeeding infant at 3 months old and only 14% of infants are breastfeed exclusively at the age of 6 months. The decrease seen from birth to 6 months is attributed to lack of support, cultural views , and lack of policies regarding breastfeeding. Unfortunately, controversy of breastfeeding in public and at the work place discourage many women from doing so.
I found that Southeast Asia has the highest rates of breastfed infants at 45% at 6 months of age. This sounds high in comparison to the other countries statics but is actually a decline from 61% of breastfed babies over the past 10 years.
This topic is important to me as it is connected to other childhood public health issues such as malnutrition, immunizations and clean water. Working in the early childhood field, it is up to me to become and remain informed so that I may share my knowledge and provide a support system as I advocate for children to ensure their healthy development and overall well being.
References and good resources!
http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/breastfeeding/breastfeeding_benefits.html
http://www.prb.org/Search.aspx?q=Breastfeeding%20Patterns%20in%20the%20Developing%20World
http://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/faq/index.htm
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/30/56/43136964.pdf
http://www.unicef.org/
