{"id":7977,"date":"2021-07-29T18:54:30","date_gmt":"2021-07-29T13:24:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ixambee.com\/blog\/?p=7977"},"modified":"2021-07-31T06:24:52","modified_gmt":"2021-07-31T00:54:52","slug":"world-breastfeeding-week","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.ixambee.com\/world-breastfeeding-week","title":{"rendered":"World Breastfeeding Week"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

World Breastfeeding Week<\/strong> is an annual commemoration dedicated to breastfeeding between August 1 and 7 every year. This year, the observances will commence on <\/strong>Sunday, Aug 1, 2021 and end on Saturday, August 7, 2021. It puts to action the resolutions undertaken at the Innocenti Declaration signed in August 1990<\/strong> by the government, international health organizations, volunteer and other non-governmental organizations to \u201cprotect, promote and support breastfeeding<\/strong>\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, we will learn all about the importance of World Breastfeeding Week, breastfeeding in general and the need to normalize breastfeeding all over again. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

World Breastfeeding Week<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Breastfeeding is the safest, healthiest and cheapest way to provide nutrition to infants and babies. A baby starts nursing from their mother right after being born and lives exclusively on milk up until they are 6 months old. Ordinarily, once a child is 6 months old, s\/he can be breastfed until 2 years of age while also being provided with supplementary nutrition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The week was observed for the first time in 1992, after the adoption of the Innocenti Declaration (see below). As of today, the week is observed in 120 countries across the globe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why is Breastfeeding Week Important?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Aside from understanding the benefits of breastfeeding, there is an acute need to normalize it. There is some taboo and immaturity surrounding breastfeeding, especially in public places. Similarly, bottle-feeding has become so common that parents choose it for their infants over breastfeeding. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hopefully, if we educate people on the importance of breastfeeding, the taboos, misconceptions and immaturity surrounding it will also progressively decrease. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) is a world-wide organizational network including individuals and groups that are devoted to promoting, preserving and encouraging infants being breastfed all over the world. The WABA put forward the idea of World Breastfeeding Week that would be dedicated to raising awareness and bringing back breastfeeding into vogue. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their work is well attuned with the guidelines of the Innocenti Declarations and the Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding<\/a>. They also work in tandem with the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children\u2019s Fund (UNICEF). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Innocenti Declaration<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Innocenti Declaration<\/strong><\/a> was adopted on August 1, 1990 in Italy. This declaration advocates that women should freely be able to breastfeed their children and that similarly, infants should be exclusively breastfed till 6 months of age. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To provide impetus to the same, the Declaration also proposes the elimination of hurdles that get in the way of breastfeeding at home, work or other environments. Last but certainly not the least, the Declaration urges for nursing mothers be provided with adequate nutrition themselves so they may feed their children properly without risking their own health and safety in any way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

World Breastfeeding Week Theme 2021<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Each year, the day is awarded a theme along the lines of which various projects and programs are undertaken. The World Breastfeeding Week Theme 2021 is \u201cProtect Breastfeeding: A Shared Responsibility\u201d. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The WABA picked this theme for this year with the intention to call attention to the relationship between breastfeeding and the health of the human race at large. It is directly connected to the health of women, young mothers and children and therefore, by extension, all nations at large. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n