Breastfeeding seeps into Maltese culture

Malta is becoming more of a breastfeeding-friendly culture, according to Paediatrics Department chairman Simon Attard Montalto.

Breastfeeding milk is the longest scientific experiment to this day

At the turn of this century, breastfeeding here ranked low compared with countries worldwide, but more than 10 years on it has practically doubled. Nearly 70 per cent of newborns are now breastfed when discharged from hospital.

The most worrying factor remained the advice provided to new parents, Prof. Attard Montalto said at a seminar about the subject on Saturday which was well attended by mothers and fathers.

A study published in 2008 showed that, of a sample of 403 women who opted to breastfeed, only 38 per cent were still breastfeeding at six months. Around 200 of them had stopped because they had received wrong advice from the medical and social community. Had they been given the right advice, 93 per cent of the whole group would have continued breastfeeding.

The advantages outweighed the disadvantages, Prof. Attard Mon­talto said. Complications and ontraindications were rare and vitamin deficiencies could be countered with supplements.

“Breastfeeding milk is the longest scientific experiment to this day. It is the natural food that has been around as long as humans,” he said, adding it had a good head start on any other form of nutrition for babies.

“It is sometimes as perfect as it could get, automatically adjusting regardless of the mother’s health,” he added, recalling images of physically weak mothers, from Third World countries, feeding healthy-looking babies.

The more one breastfeeds, the more protected the offspring. Breastfed infants have a smaller risk of gastrointestinal and respiratory infections.

Mothers also tend to gain. They lose weight quicker and are less likely to become obese later. It also reduces the risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer.