World Breastfeeding Week

By: Natalie Samara

Breastfeeding and other ways of naming it for example “nursing” and “chest feeding” is feeding a baby human milk from the breast. It may be given directly from the breast, however, it may also be pumped, stored, and offered from a bottle. 

Some people breastfeed exclusively. That means their baby does not receive formula or other foods. Others breastfeed partially, which means that their baby may also receive formula or solid foods. Women may feed their babies only using  breast milk, while others combine breastfeeding with formula or solid foods. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 84% of infants in the United States are breastfed. However, as they reach their first year of age, the number of infants that do this is low. For instance, by the time the baby reaches six months of age, 57% of infants are still breastfeeding, and by one year, 35% receive breast milk. The maternity care practices that support the act of breastfeeding was at 3.8% in 2010 and increased to 28.9% in 2021. 

Based on the World Health Organization, the investment in breastfeeding support remains critically low even though every dollar invested generates US$35 in economic returns.

WHO adds saying, “Only a fifth of countries include infant and young child feeding training for the doctors and nurses who care for new mothers. This means the majority of the world’s mothers leave hospitals without proper guidance on how to breastfeed their babies and when to introduce complementary feeding.” 

Breastfeeding benefits extend to both the breastfeeding parent and the infant. For infants, breast milk is uniquely designed to meet a human infant’s nutritional needs. The human milk changes as the baby grows older, and when the first milk a baby receives is called colostrum, is the first form of breastmilk that is released by the mammary glands after the woman gives birth. This form of breastmilk is high in antibodies, and antioxidants to build the baby’s immune system and changes two to four days after giving birth. It is also referred to as “liquid gold” because of the color of the milk which is yellowish  and because of its potent immune benefits. By the third to fifth day, the milk transitions to mature milk where it contains the perfect mixture of nutrients and antibodies for your growing baby.

The benefits of breastfeeding to a baby include reduced risk of asthma, a condition in which the airways become inflamed, narrow, and swollen and produce extra mucus diabetes, a condition characterized by high blood sugar levels. Other reduced risks that are benefited from breastfeeding such as ear infections, eczema, an itchy inflammation of the skin,  gastrointestinal upset or disease, leukemia, lower respiratory infections, including pneumonia and bronchitis, obesity and lastly sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). For the mother, there are reduced risks for them when they breastfeed their child and those include high blood pressure, type ll diabetes, ovarian cancer, and breast cancer. 

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, in preventing infections for the child in the future, using breastmilk prevents mild and severe infections and hospitalizations. When babies if born prematurely are given breastmilk they are less likely to have a serious infection called necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), is a serious intestinal disease that primarily affects premature infants. In NEC, the intestines become damaged and inflamed, and in severe cases, parts of the bowel can die, potentially leading to perforation, sepsis, and even death. 

There are risks to breastfeeding such as breast infection, allergies for example food allergies, and difficulties to breastfeeding where the parent can struggle initially with the process of breastfeeding to which it can cause the baby not getting enough nutrients or weaning prematurely. 

World Breastfeeding Week is recognized in the United States in the week of August on 1st - 7th of every year. While other countries like Switzerland recognize it in the month of September and France acknowledges it in October. It was first initiated by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action in 1992. WBW started in 1992, with annual themes including healthcare systems, women and work, the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes, community support, ecology, economy, science, education and human rights.

For the year 2025, WABA’s focus in relation to the issue of breastfeeding, is on environment and climate change. The campaign wants to emphasize the importance of prioritizing breastfeeding by building robust and sustainable support systems. A supportive environment for breastfeeding not only benefits families but also significantly reduces the environmental impact associated with artificial feeding. 

References: 

World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) - World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action. (n.d.). World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action. https://waba.org.my/wbw/#:~:text=WBW%20was%20started%20in%201992,1%2D7%20August%20every%20year.

About breastfeeding. (2024, December 9). Breastfeeding. https://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/php/about/index.html

World Health Organization: WHO. (2025, August 4). On World Breastfeeding Week, countries urged to invest in health systems and support breastfeeding mothers. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news/item/04-08-2025-on-world-breastfeeding-week-countries-urged-to-invest-in-health-systems-and-support-breastfeeding-mothers

GIFA. (2025, January 29). World Breastfeeding Week - GIFA. GIFA - Geneva Infant Feeding Association, Member of the IBFAN Network. https://www.gifa.org/en/international-2/world-breastfeeding-week/

Breast milk is best. (2024, February 29). Johns Hopkins Medicine. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/breastfeeding-your-baby/breast-milk-is-the-best-milk