Breastfeeding rates double in 15 years

Breastfeeding rates in Malta have doubled over a span of 15 years, the Health Promotion Department said.

However, there was still room for improvement - if the target outlined in the national policy of 2000 was to be realised, 90 per cent of babies would be breastfed on discharge from hospital, it added.

"Malta has been successful in increasing breastfeeding over the past 15 years when breastfeeding rates in 1992-1993 were around 35 per cent."

Last year, an encouraging figure of 60.5 per cent was recorded, revealing that the dedication of the maternity staff on duty, the setting up of a breastfeeding walk-in clinic at Karin Grech Hospital, parent craft classes for parents-to-be, and the constant campaigns in favour of breastfeeding and the contribution of key NGOs in the sector had all had the desired effect, the health department pointed out.

In 2000, the percentage of breastfed infants stood at 52.7 per cent but was down to 47.6 the following year, according to statistics.

Unfortunately, various barriers still existed both in the hospital setting and within Maltese society that hinder mothers from abiding by WHO and Unicef recommendations, which include that infants should be exclusively breastfed in the first six months of life to achieve optimal growth.

These barriers ranged from misinformation to lack of support from health professionals and family members, baby-friendly facilities and workplaces, taboos associated with breastfeeding in public, and aggressive marketing of breast milk substitutes.

Speaking in World Breastfeeding Week, being held until August 7 and coordinated by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action every year, the health department said this year's theme was Code Watch: 25 Years Of Protecting Breastfeeding.

Breast milk is undeniably the ideal food for all infants and has important benefits for the health of mothers, including helping them regain pre-pregnancy weight faster and producing hormones that reduce tension, calming both the mother and the child, the department said.