Only one in two babies older than 4 months are breastfed in Moldova

Breastfeeding in the first hours of life and in the next six months can save the life of over one million newborns in the world. In Moldova, only one in two babies older than four months are breastfed. In August UNICEF will organise a media campaign, in concert with the Investigative Journalism Centre, to inform the population about the benefits of breastfeeding. The message of UNICEF is “breastfeeding remains the best feeding source for newborns”. Each year from 1-7 August, World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated in more than 120 countries by UNICEF and its partners. This year’s theme of World Breastfeeding Week is breastfeeding within one hour of birth. The organisation invites the hospitals to join the “Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative”, launched in 1991. The project aims at encouraging all the maternity hospitals to help mothers do the best choice in feeding their children. Studies show that breastfeeding strengthens the immunity system of children and protects them against diarrhoea and other diseases. A woman which breastfeeds her children is less probably to have breast cancer. Breastfeeding allows also preventing other forms of cancer. According to a demographic study conducted in 2005 by UNICEF and USAID, 97% of the children born in Moldova in the last five years were breastfed. Regretfully, of them, only 57% of children younger than four months were fed naturally. The rest of the babies at breast are additionally consuming water, juices and/or other types of milk.