UNICEF and WHO recommend mothers to continue breastfeeding for two years

UNICEF and the Word Health Organization recommend mothers to exclusively breastfeed for the first six months of the baby's live and continue to breastfeed for at least two years. “Breastfeeding up to two years has many benefits both from a nutritional viewpoint and from the point of view of cognitive development. Recent studies show that the people who were breastfed more during infancy have lower chances of developing hypertension and have lower cholesterol levels. Also, the children who were breastfed for a longer period were shown to have higher IQ levels”, stated Svetlana Stefanet, UNICEF coordonator, in the context of the Breastfeeding Week in Moldova. During August 1-7, a series of information activities will be conducted, in particular in maternity wards, to promote the benefits of breastfeeding among pregnant women and fresh mothers. The Ministry of Health instructed all the medical establishments to contribute to the promotion activities. “Often a young mother lacks adequate support at the maternity or immediately after discharge from the hospital, and there is a risk that she could be unable to breastfeed. This is exactly why the support of the medical institutions is so necessary”, says Svetlana Stefanet. The Breastfeeding Week in Moldova is conducted for the fourth consecutive year with the joint efforts of UNICEF and the Ministry of Health. The rate of women who start breastfeeding immediately after birth rose from 92.4% in 2001 to 94.4% in 2009, according to a survey by the Ministry. A separate demographic survey showed that 85% of the babies under six months are breastfed, and 93% are breastfed up to three months. Only 45% are exclusively breastfed in the first six months of their lives.