Recommendations for breastfeeding. WHO recommendations on breastfeeding

Every mother wants to give her newborn baby only the best. And if the choice of a suitable stroller, crib and high-quality useful toys is a difficult question, but still not critical, then the issue of feeding plays a huge role.

Many of them face difficulties along the way due to lack of information or widespread prejudices. And in this case, WHO recommendations on breastfeeding can come to the aid of such mothers. But first, it's worth mentioning the benefits of this choice.

Manufacturers of infant formula convince customers that their products contain all the necessary complex of vitamins and nutrients for the child’s body. However, no formula can provide a baby with the benefits that breast milk brings. Among them:

• the ability to change the composition of milk depending on the age and needs of the child. No artificial formula is tailored to the needs of a specific child;
• the presence in milk of elements that help build immunity and increase protection against colds, reduce the risk of allergies and dysbacteriosis;
• presence of necessary antibodies in case of illness;
• ensuring close emotional contact between mother and baby;
• facilitating the process of a child falling asleep;
• high digestibility of all vitamins and microelements contained in milk. It has long been known that, despite the high iron content in artificial formulas, it is practically not absorbed in the child’s body, as a result of which formula-fed children often experience;
• formation of correct bite;
• normalization of intestinal microflora, as a result of which in most breastfed children the process of establishing the functioning of the digestive system as a whole is even easier.

In addition to the undoubted health benefits of the newborn, it also carries many benefits for the mother. Thanks to it, after childbirth, hormonal levels and the body as a whole are restored faster, and the duration of postpartum discharge is reduced due to more intense contractions of the uterus.

Natural feeding

Women who had the opportunity to compare the experience of natural and artificial feeding note that when breastfeeding it is much easier for them to establish psychological contact with the child, it is easier to guess his needs.

Breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast and ovarian cancer.

In addition to the health benefits for mother and baby, breastfeeding has another undeniable advantage over artificial formula - simplicity and convenience. Breast milk does not need to be cooled or heated; its temperature is optimal at any time. Parents don’t have to carry bottles of formula, a sterilizer, and a lot of other things everywhere.

In case of forced absence of the mother next to the child, all that needs to be done is to create a “bank” of milk. Once decanted, it stores well in the freezer.

Unfortunately, despite all the obvious benefits of breast milk, not all mothers know how to properly establish this natural process. In many developed countries, as well as in the post-Soviet space, advertising of formulas, agitation for feeding by the hour and many common misconceptions have led to the fact that a rare woman can start feeding her child without resorting to anyone’s help and advice.

• To help new mothers, the World Health Organization has published the following recommendations:
• It is extremely important that the baby receives the first drops of milk as early as possible, ideally immediately after birth. A few drops of colostrum ensure the colonization of the intestines with beneficial microflora from the first minutes of life.
• It is necessary from the very beginning to ensure that the baby latches onto the breast correctly - this will help avoid cracks and other unpleasant sensations. In addition, if the latch is incorrect, the baby may swallow a lot of air during feeding or not receive the required amount of milk. The baby's lips should tightly clasp not only the nipple itself, but also most of the areola; during feeding, the mother should not experience any unpleasant or painful sensations. If such sensations appear during feeding, you should carefully remove the breast from the baby and offer it again, carefully monitoring the correct grasp.
• Until your baby learns to latch on correctly, bottle feeding should be avoided as much as possible, and you should also avoid giving your baby a pacifier.
• Attempts to satisfy the sucking reflex with their help often lead to the formation of an incorrect grip. In addition, there are often cases when, even after one bottle feeding, a child refuses to latch on to the breast - this is due to the fact that it is much easier for the baby to obtain milk in this way. As a last resort, if you need to feed the baby in the absence of the mother, you should use a spoon or syringe. It must be remembered that in case of any doubts regarding the correct latch of the breast, every mother can seek help from a lactation consultant. The specialist will not only answer all your questions, but also show you how to properly latch on to your baby and advise which feeding position is most suitable for this particular mother and baby. There is no need to be afraid to ask for help in such an important matter.
• Supplemental feeding should be avoided - the baby can get all the fluid he needs from mother's milk. If you give your child water, juices or milk of animal origin, the stomach will be full, but the body will not be satisfied and will not receive the necessary nutrients.
• There is no need to wash your nipples with soap before each feeding! Constant washing, as well as the use of hard towels, can cause dry skin and, as a result, lead to cracked nipples. To maintain breast hygiene, a daily shower is enough.
• It is strictly not recommended to administer before 6 months. Up to six months, mother's milk satisfies all the baby's nutritional needs in full.
• The amount of milk in the breast is regulated according to the supply and demand system. The more often and more the baby eats, the more milk is produced. Therefore, in order to avoid lactostasis, you should not express unless absolutely necessary - otherwise, more milk will be produced than required, which will inevitably lead to stagnation.
• It is extremely important to provide your baby with night feedings. Firstly, night milk is considered the most nutritious. Secondly, in the pre-dawn hours the production of a hormone responsible for the amount of milk occurs. If the baby is bottle-fed at night, the mother’s body concludes that the need for milk has decreased and, accordingly, reduces its production.
• You need to make sure that the baby completely empties one breast before taking the other - otherwise he will not be provided with the most nutritious, “hind” milk.
• Avoid frequent weighing - each child gains weight differently, and the well-known weight gain tables that pediatricians are accustomed to relying on are primarily a guide for bottle-fed children. They were created to track possible overweight, and not at all underweight. Frequent weighings will only lead to increased nervousness in the mother, which will inevitably affect the quantity and quality of milk. What to do if it seems that the child is not gaining weight well, but doctors or others convince him that milk is “non-nutritive”? First of all, the mother needs to focus on her subjective feelings. Is the child healthy, alert, and developing according to schedule? With a high degree of probability, it can be said that it has enough nutrients for full development. If there are still doubts, you can conduct the so-called “wet diaper” test. You should stop for a day and count the number of bowel movements. A child who has enough milk will have time to wet about 10-12 diapers during this time.
• A child should be breastfed until at least two years of age - even with adequate complementary feeding with regular foods, the child continues to receive antibodies and other useful substances from the mother in case of illness. Weaning should be done gradually, reducing the number of feedings. Night feedings are one of the last to be removed. In addition, such a recommendation is important for those mothers who are worried about the shape of their breasts. It is gradual involution (completion of feeding) that allows the mammary gland to gradually return to its original appearance.

The benefits of breastfeeding over artificial feeding are completely obvious, and every mother who is concerned about the health of her baby should delve into all the intricacies of this process and provide him with the most necessary things from birth.

The most common problems on the path to successful feeding are fears and prejudices, but in the modern world every mother can find the necessary information or seek help to dispel doubts. Good luck on this journey!

“The first 2-3 years of a child’s life are critical for physical and mental development. However, current feeding practices in some countries may be doing more harm than good for young children's development. Children under three years of age are especially sensitive to the effects of poor nutrition; since during this period growth occurs more intensively than at any other time ... "

Poor nutrition can lead to: irreversible growth retardation, frequent severe infections, cardiovascular diseases, as well as various defects (delayed motor and cognitive development, behavioral problems, underdeveloped social skills, short attention span, poor learning abilities ).
“There is evidence... that infant nutrition has long-term health consequences and plays a role in preventing the development of some chronic non-communicable diseases in adults.”

Breastfeeding children up to two years of age significantly reduces infant morbidity and mortality. This is especially important for the period from birth to 6 months.

It is important to note that by “breastfeeding” the WHO means “the baby receiving breast milk directly from the breast”, and not just breastfeeding.

“WHO and UNICEF currently recommend continuing breastfeeding for up to 2 years, and possibly longer.” At the same time, it is specifically stated that “all children should be exclusively breastfed from the moment of birth until the age of approximately 6 months, but in any case during the first 4 months of life.”

“In the first few hours of life outside the womb, the baby is lively, active and ready to feed, so ideally breastfeeding should begin within the first hour.” “Colostrum, released in the first few days of life, is especially rich in immunoprotective factors and several vitamins and minerals...”
The necessary introduction of complementary foods from 6 months “does not mean stopping breastfeeding. On the contrary, in the first year of life, breast milk should remain one of the main sources of nutrition...” “The purpose of complementary feeding is to provide additional energy and nutrients, but ideally it should not replace breast milk during the first 12 months. To…stimulate milk production, mothers should continue to breastfeed their babies frequently while complementary feeding is introduced.”

When a breastfeeding woman is forced to go to work and can no longer adhere to the feeding schedule at the request of the child, then to maintain breastfeeding, she should pump during the day. The expressed milk is then given to the baby. And to support lactation, night feedings should be maintained. In addition, WHO recommends that working women feed two to three times a day.

How to support lactation

Application. In the matter of sufficient lactation, correct attachment plays an important role. Therefore, first of all, you should pay attention to ensuring that the child takes the nipple into his mouth correctly.

The baby is attached to the mother's breast correctly (left) and incorrectly (right).

Regularity. “The key to establishing and maintaining optimal lactation is breastfeeding on demand. As long as the baby is positioned correctly at the breast and the mother breastfeeds frequently (8-12 times per day), he will likely consume adequate amounts of breast milk.” Rigid feeding schedules are not recommended because different babies have different needs.

Duration. “Baby-led feeding, in which the infant is allowed to voluntarily move away from the breast if he is satisfied and decides not to take the breast again when it is offered to him after a few minutes, will provide the best milk production. Weaning a baby prematurely...can reduce the amount of milk consumed, make babies hungry, and needlessly cause mothers to doubt their milk supply." It is also important not to rush to offer the baby another breast in order to give him the opportunity to suck the so-called later (highest calorie) milk from the first.
Supplementation and additional feeding. Up to 6 months, the child must be exclusively breastfed (drops and syrups - vitamins, minerals, medicines) are allowed. Additional fluids and food before 6 months “displaces richer, more nutrient-dense breast milk and interferes with the baby's ability to breastfeed, thereby compromising the establishment and continuation of breastfeeding. Even in hot climates, provided they are exclusively breastfed, children can retain fluid without supplementation.

Flexibility. “Exclusive breastfeeding provides the baby with milk in sufficient quantity and quality” until about 6 months. Until this age, “even mothers of twins are able to exclusively breastfeed their children.” “As the baby's needs increase and the mother responds by breastfeeding more frequently and for longer periods of time, the mother's milk supply can increase in a matter of days, even hours.”
Confidence. “Irreversible milk deficiency is rare in the first few months of life.” But mothers do not always have enough confidence that they are able to produce enough milk. And this fear can inhibit lactation. It is important to remember that insufficient weight gain in the child primarily means that the mother needs qualified breastfeeding advice, and not that the child should be transferred to artificial formula.
If your pediatrician indicates that your child is not gaining enough weight, check which physical development charts he or she is using. Unfortunately, many of these plans are outdated and based on data from American formula-fed children. “Breastfed children have different physical development patterns than their bottle-fed peers...”

Bottles, pacifiers and pacifiers. Their complete exclusion ensures that the mother will react correctly to the child’s tension - that is, she will offer him the breast to calm him down. Otherwise, the principle of feeding on demand is violated.

Harmful recommendations preserved from the times of the Soviet Union

• late initiation of breastfeeding (6-12 hours after birth), especially for sick women, including women suffering from anemia;
• feeding with a 5% glucose solution until breast milk production is established;
• exclusive breastfeeding only for the first month;
• breast milk as the main food for the first 4-4.5 months;
• complete cessation of breastfeeding by the age of 10-11 months;
• breastfeeding strictly according to schedule (with a deviation of no more than 15 minutes).

In addition, the importance of a long break at night was indicated - from 6.5 to 8 hours.
We started feeding them already from the second month:

• vegetable and fruit “juices” (jam with water) – 1 month;
• fruits – 2 months;
• cow's milk diluted with a decoction of cereals - 2-3 months;
• pure kefir, hard-boiled egg yolk – 3 months;
• tea and water with sugar, cow's milk, cottage cheese, porridge, butter, sugar and salt - 4 months.

What’s even worse is that “if anemia (and rickets) was diagnosed, it was recommended to introduce porridge and other solid foods before 4 months.”

When preparing the article, materials from the site were used

What WHO recommendations on breastfeeding should every expectant and accomplished mother know? What is the advice of the World Health Organization? How are they justified and supported? Ten principles for successful breastfeeding in recommendations adopted by the international community.

In 2003, at the international conference of the World Health Organization in Geneva, the Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding was adopted. The document is intended to systematize and organize the knowledge of the international community about the value of breastfeeding. And to convey to medical personnel in all countries of the world the need to maintain it through training and informing mothers.

Ideal nutrition - saving lives

In 2000, WHO and UNICEF specialists began a large-scale study to find out how breast milk actually affects children in the first year of life. The results of the study were stunning.

• Depriving children of the first six months of life from breastfeeding greatly increases the risk of mortality as a result of dangerous diseases. About 70% of children in the first year of life living in developing, socially disadvantaged countries of the world, suffering from diarrhea, measles, malaria, and respiratory tract infections, received artificial food.
• Breast milk is a complete source of nutrition and reduces mortality among malnourished children. Studies have confirmed that until a child reaches six months of age, it covers 100% of the necessary nutrients. Up to twelve months it serves as a supplier of 75% of valuable substances, and up to twenty-four months it supplies the child’s body with almost a third of the necessary substances.
• Breast milk protects against obesity. Excess weight is a global problem for humanity. The prerequisites for it are created by artificial feeding of newborns. The risk of future obesity for such children increases 11 times.
• Breast milk develops intelligence. Naturally fed children exhibit higher intellectual abilities than artificially fed children.

The main message given by the World Health Organization in the Strategy is the promotion of breastfeeding in order to reduce child mortality among children from birth to five years. This problem is especially acute in socially disadvantaged regions of the planet. But even in developed countries its relevance is high. After all, breastfeeding is the basis of a healthy human life.

The strategy includes ten points that provide practical guidance for medical staff in maternity hospitals and women in labor. Let's take a closer look at WHO advice on breastfeeding.

The basic postulates of the Strategy are based on the principles of widely informing mothers about the benefits of natural feeding.

Supporting breastfeeding rules and regularly bringing them to the attention of medical personnel and mothers

A feature of medical institutions that adhere to the principles of the Strategy in their daily activities is their focus on creating favorable conditions for women in order to stimulate lactation in the first days after the birth of a child. It will be much easier for young mothers to establish natural feeding in such conditions. Health centers that use the WHO Strategy are considered Baby Friendly Hospitals.

Training of medical personnel in breastfeeding techniques

Past medical education programs paid minimal attention to breastfeeding issues. Over seven years of training for maternity ward doctors, literally several hours were devoted to this topic. It is not surprising that “old-school” doctors do not know the basics of natural feeding and cannot give professional advice to mothers.

In Russia, the issue of advanced training for doctors has not been resolved. Additional funds are needed for retraining and courses. Ideally, every employee of a Baby-Friendly Hospital, from the doctor to the nurse, should provide the woman after childbirth with all the information she needs about breastfeeding.

Informing pregnant women about the benefits of breastfeeding

A pregnant woman makes a decision about how exactly the baby will be fed long before giving birth. Various factors can influence this decision. For example, an expectant mother is often prompted to decide to feed formula by “horror stories” from older relatives about the constant crying of a hungry child or mastitis due to stagnation of milk.

Medical personnel should not only inform the young mother about the advantages of natural feeding. But also teach the technique of breastfeeding, which ensures full feeding without problems and discomfort.

Helping mothers in labor start breastfeeding early

The baby's first breastfeeding should occur within thirty minutes of birth. These WHO recommendations on breastfeeding are difficult to overestimate.

Nature has designed the activation of the sucking reflex in a baby during the first hour after birth. If the baby does not receive the breast now, he will probably fall asleep later to rest from the difficult work done. And he sleeps for at least six hours.

At this time, the woman will not receive stimulation of the mammary glands, which is a signal to the body: it’s time! The beginning of breast milk production and its quantity directly depend on the time of the first contact of the woman with the baby. The longer the first latch is delayed, the less milk the mother will receive and the longer she will have to wait for it - not two or three days, but seven to nine...

The first attachment provides the baby with the first and most valuable food for him - colostrum. And even though there is very little of it, literally drops, it has a colossal effect on the newborn’s body:

• populates the food tract with friendly microflora;
• provides immune, anti-infective protection;
• saturates with vitamin A, which facilitates the course of infectious diseases;
• cleanses the intestines of meconium containing bilirubin.

The first application, which took place within half an hour after birth, forms the body's immune defense against environmental hazards. The duration of suckling on each breast for a newborn should be 20 minutes.

Helping mothers conserve breast milk if they are temporarily separated from their babies

Some women are unable to start breastfeeding immediately after giving birth. However, waiting for doctors to allow breastfeeding is disastrous! Lack of breast stimulation leads to delayed lactation: milk comes later and in a much smaller volume than the baby needs.

Babies separated from their mothers are given formula before they are even breastfed. This leads to sad consequences. Once near the mother, the baby stubbornly refuses to take the breast, demanding to be fed from a familiar bottle. The minimum amount of milk in the mother’s breast is an additional factor in the baby’s dissatisfaction. After all, milk needs to be “extracted”, sucked out with effort, and the mixture flows on its own.

When mother and child are separated, breastfeeding recommendations suggest an alternative to feeding - pumping. They should be regular, every two to three hours for 10-15 minutes on each breast. Hand expression after childbirth is uncomfortable and painful. It is better to use a clinical or individual breast pump with a two-phase operating mode.

The amount of milk released is not indicative; do not pay attention to how much came out during pumping. A woman’s task is not to express as much as possible, but to give a signal to the body that it is time to produce milk in full.

Its success and duration largely depend on whether the start of breastfeeding is correct. However, after being discharged from the maternity hospital, the young mother is faced with many questions. WHO breastfeeding recommendations help answer some of these questions.

Lack of food and food other than breast milk

Unless otherwise indicated by individual medical conditions, WHO does not recommend giving children any other food or water until they are six months old.

In the first days of life, the child receives colostrum, rich in nutritional value. The small amount that is produced is enough to satisfy all his needs. There is no need to supplement your baby with anything! Moreover, this is fraught with negative consequences.

• Too much water overloads the kidneys. Supplemental feeding with formula creates an unjustified load on the child’s immature kidneys, which have not yet adapted to living conditions in the environment. Adding water works similarly. The baby does not need additional water during the first days of life. He is born with a supply sufficient until the arrival of the mother's first full milk. Colostrum contains very little water, so it is ideal for the baby’s body.
• The mixture disrupts the intestinal microflora. Usually on the second day after birth, the baby begins to actively suckle at the breast. Inexperienced mothers immediately come to the conclusion that he is hungry and urgently needs to be “fed” with formula. In fact, this is how the baby encourages the mother's body to begin producing primary milk, which comes with colostrum. Neither the baby nor your body needs any help, everything will happen by itself! If you give the baby formula at this moment, the microflora of his intestines will change. Dysbacteriosis will develop, which is the main cause of intestinal colic and crying in infants up to three months of age. It will be possible to normalize the child’s condition, even if you adhere to exclusive breastfeeding, no earlier than in two to four weeks.

Of course, there are situations in which supplementary feeding is necessary. But only a doctor should give recommendations for its administration. Spontaneous decisions of the mother to feed her with formula “one time” are dangerous for the baby.

24/7 shared stay

In practice, it has been confirmed that babies who are constantly in the same room with their mothers are calmer, do not scream or cry. Women who have had time to get to know their children are more confident in their abilities. And even if it is their first baby, upon returning home the mother will not face the problem “I don’t know what to do with him.”

In addition, only staying together after childbirth provides the opportunity for the normal development of lactation.

Feeding on demand

Lactation consultants advise looking at your baby, not the clock. Your baby knows better when he's hungry than you or the hospital staff. On-demand breastfeeding provides several benefits.

• The baby is always full, is gaining weight well.
• The child is calm because he has no reason to worry or be upset. His mother is always nearby, and the breast, which has taken on the “role” of the umbilical cord during intrauterine development, will warm him up, help him sleep and cope with fear.
• There is more milk. The amount of milk in women who feed “on demand” is twice as much as in women who adhere to the regime. This conclusion was made by doctors at Moscow perinatal centers based on an analysis of the condition of women in labor upon discharge home.
• The quality of the milk is better. Feeding “on demand” enriches milk with valuable substances. It has been established that the level of proteins and fats in it is 1.6-1.8 times higher than in the product for “regular” feeding.
• Prevention of lactostasis. The risk of milk stagnation in mothers who breastfeed “on demand” is three times lower.

The practice of feeding at the child's request should also be followed at home. Gradually, the baby will develop an individual feeding regimen that will be convenient for the mother.

Refusal of products and devices that imitate breasts

The use of pacifiers is possible in artificial babies, who should be offered an alternative to the mother's breast to satisfy the sucking reflex. For infants, this alternative is unacceptable, as it changes the sucking technique and becomes a reason for choosing between the nipple or the breast.

Feeding up to two years

WHO breastfeeding advice includes recommendations to breastfeed until age 2. At this age, mother’s milk plays a primary role in the formation of the baby’s brain, the formation of his nervous system, and the final development of the gastrointestinal tract to fully digest and assimilate “adult” food.

WHO recommends supporting breastfeeding after 2 years in developing countries with insufficient levels of medicine, hygiene, and a simple lack of quality products. It is better to continue feeding mother's milk than dangerous food that can lead to life-threatening diseases, say WHO and UNICEF experts.

It is necessary to maintain breastfeeding after 1 year, according to WHO recommendations. The complementary foods that a child receives are not intended to displace or replace mother's milk. He must introduce the baby to new tastes, unusual textures of foods, and teach him to chew. But the child should still receive the most important substances for the development of his body from his mother’s breast.

Following the recommendations of the World Health Organization will allow every mother to gain confidence in her own abilities. After all, the health of her baby depends on her, and not on doctors, baby food manufacturers or experienced grandmothers. It is based on “white gold” - breast milk produced by the mother’s body in the ideal quantity and composition for her baby.

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Almost every young mother faces a variety of problems when breastfeeding. In order to avoid unforeseen situations during lactation, it is worth following WHO recommendations on breastfeeding, clearly outlined by month. With their help, every young mother will be able to establish this important process for every woman and fully enjoy motherhood.

In 2003, at the international meeting of the World Health Organization, a declaration on infant nutrition was approved. Thanks to the adoption of this document, an increasing number of young mothers prefer feeding with their own milk, and this serious topic is being popularized at the level of medical institutions.

In the course of research by WHO and UNICEF specialists, it was found that breast milk has a huge impact on the physical and mental development of children under one year old, namely:

• Breast milk is a complete source of nutrition for a newborn. So, according to the existing table, babies under the age of six months receive 100% of the nutrients they need from mother’s milk, from 6 to 12 months - 75%, and after a year - 25%.
• In the complete absence of breastfeeding, the risk of mortality among newborns increases to 70%. This applies to formula-fed children from poor countries where infectious diseases predominate.
• Breast milk affects mental development. Breastfed babies show higher developmental rates than bottle-fed babies.
• Breast milk is a reliable protection against obesity. According to statistics, children who are bottle-fed subsequently suffer from excess body weight 11 times more often than babies raised on breast milk.

The main motive of the WHO and UNICEF declaration is to promote the principles of breastfeeding among young mothers. This guardianship program makes it possible to reduce the increase in mortality among children aged 1 to 5 years in countries with unfavorable economic situations.

WHO feeding principles involve receiving mother's milk directly from the breast. If you bottle-feed your baby with breast milk or formula, he will not receive the benefit (although the norms for weight gain according to the monthly table can be met) that the baby receives by listening to the mother’s heartbeat, feeling her affection and warmth. This aspect is very important because it affects the emotional contact between mother and child. A practical guide to feeding children consists of 10 principles. They should help nursing mothers and medical facility staff properly organize the breastfeeding process month by month. It is worth familiarizing yourself with these principles of breastfeeding in more detail.

Supporting breastfeeding principles

According to WHO recommendations, every medical institution is obliged to create comfortable conditions for young mothers to improve the lactation process in the first days of the birth of a child. This will help the nursing mother adapt faster and get rid of all worries about breastfeeding.

Education of medical personnel

Unfortunately, not all medical institutions can provide qualified care to young mothers. For many years, the issue of breastfeeding was not given much attention. Women lacked certain knowledge, which is why many refused to breastfeed. Today the situation is gradually changing.

Each woman decides for herself how to feed her newborn baby. This important issue is decided long before the birth of the child, and this decision is usually influenced by scary stories heard somewhere about breastfeeding, about possible congestion in the chest, poor health and a constantly crying and hungry child. To prevent a negative attitude towards the natural process of feeding, medical personnel are obliged to advise expectant mothers during pregnancy, as well as immediately after the birth of the baby.

First aid for breastfeeding for women in labor

According to WHO recommendations, the first attachment of a newborn to the breast should occur no less than 30 minutes after birth. During this period, the woman’s process of producing breast milk is activated, and the baby, tired during the birth process, will be able to refresh himself and fall asleep. If you do not put the baby to the breast in time, he will fall asleep and the young mother will not produce milk.

At first, the young mother only stands out. Many people underestimate its role for the baby. However, even these small drops can be of great benefit to the child, because colostrum:

• Strengthens the immune system, protects the child’s body from infections.
• Helps clear the intestines of meconium, thereby reducing the amount of bilirubin.
• Fills the food tract with beneficial microflora.
• Enriches the child's body with vitamin A.

Preservation of breast milk in case of temporary separation of mother and child
There are times when a newborn and his mother need to be temporarily separated for health reasons. In this case, staff in many medical institutions try to feed the baby with an artificial formula. The child quickly gets used to the fact that he does not have to strain, because mother’s milk needs to be “extracted”, and it flows freely from the bottle on its own. In most cases, the baby stops demanding the breast. In such a situation, a young mother should express milk regularly and not panic if the amount is very small. The main thing is that the breasts will receive a signal about feeding, and gradually the lactation process will improve.

If while staying in the maternity hospital, a young mother can still get the necessary advice from the medical staff, then after discharge, at home, many women are tormented by questions to which it is not always possible to get answers. In this case, it is recommended to breastfeed based on the principles and recommendations of WHO:

• In the first days, the newborn will have enough colostrum. Since not everyone can establish successful breastfeeding right away, do not despair, the baby will be completely satisfied with a small, but no less valuable amount of colostrum.
• Remember that water overloads a newborn's kidneys. There is no need to give your baby more food; colostrum will be enough for him.
• Do not feed your baby formula. This often leads to disturbances in the intestinal microflora.
• 24-hour stay of the baby with the mother. Staying together with the child will give confidence to both of them - the baby will be calm and protected, and the young mother will be able to quickly adapt to new conditions.

Over the past decades, evidence and recommendations for breastfeeding have continued to grow. WHO can now say with complete confidence that breastfeeding reduces child mortality and has health benefits that extend into adulthood. For the general population, exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life, followed by breastfeeding with adequate complementary feeding for two or more years, is recommended for infant feeding.

To ensure that mothers can initiate and maintain exclusive breastfeeding for six months, WHO and UNICEF recommend:

• Conduct the first breastfeeding within the first hour of life;
• Carry out exclusive breastfeeding, that is, do not give the child anything other than breast milk - no other food or drink, not even water;
• Breastfeed on demand, that is, as often as the baby wants, both day and night.
• Do not use bottles, nipples or pacifiers.

Breast milk is the natural first food product for newborns. It contains all the nutrients and energy a baby needs during the first months of life and continues to meet half or more of a baby's nutritional needs during the second half of the first year and one-third during the second year.

Breast milk promotes sensory and cognitive development and protects the baby from infectious and chronic diseases. Exclusive breastfeeding helps reduce infant mortality from common childhood illnesses, such as diarrhea and pneumonia, and improves recovery from illness.

Breastfeeding is beneficial for the health and well-being of mothers. It allows for spacing of children, reduces the risk of ovarian and breast cancer, increases family and national resources, is a reliable feeding method and is environmentally friendly.

While breastfeeding is a natural behavior, it is also a learned behavior. Numerous scientific studies have demonstrated that mothers and other caregivers need active support in establishing and maintaining good breastfeeding practices. In 1992, WHO and UNICEF announced the Breastfeeding Friendly Hospital Initiative (BHII) to strengthen maternity ward practices to support breastfeeding. IBIV ​​is helping to improve the implementation of exclusive breastfeeding worldwide and, with support across the health system, can help mothers maintain exclusive breastfeeding.

WHO and UNICEF developed the 40-hour “Breastfeeding Counselling: A Training Course” and later the five-day “Infant and Young Child Feeding Counselling: A Comprehensive Course” to train health workers to provide skilled support to breastfeeding mothers and help them overcome problems. Basic breastfeeding support skills are also part of the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness Training Course for first-level health workers.

The Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding describes key actions to protect, promote and support breastfeeding.