In Anguilla, National Breastfeeding Week will be celebrated 16th -20th October under the theme, “Breastfeeding and Family foods: Loving and Healthy”. There is evidence that more women in Anguilla are exclusively breastfeeding their infants. This is commendable as many mothers face many challenges in doing this. The drive to get more women to exclusively breast feed their infants for the first six months of life should continue.

What is exclusive breastfeeding?
This refers to feeding an infant NO other food or drink, not even water, apart from breast milk (including expressed breast milk) with the exception of drops or syrups consisting of vitamins, mineral supplement or medicines. This has been shown by numerous scientific studies to be safe, effective and the best way of feeding the baby at this time. This method of feeding the baby should last for six months. Complementary foods should be introduced after six month period. Breastfeeding, however, can continue for two years or more with complementary foods. I know there are several persons who are very anxious to use various cereals and other foods soon after birth. Not only is this wrong but can be dangerous for the baby, leading to several medical complications.

Why exclusive breastfeeding?
The benefits of exclusive breast feeding should be known to all pregnant women and women intending to have a baby. Breast milk contains just the right amounts of carbohydrates, protein, vitamins fat and other nutrients for the first six months of the baby’s life. No other milk has this correct formulation. Breast milk also contains protective factors which help to prevent and fight infections, such as diarhoea and pneumonia and also reduce the risk of several allergic disorders including bronchial asthma.
Breastfeeding is economical and cheap and, with all the other expenses involved in raising a child today, it is wise to exclusively breast feed babies for six months. With only a few exceptions, all babies can be exclusively breast fed for the first six months of life.
There are also benefits for the mother who exclusively breast feed her baby. It can prevent a new pregnancy in the first six months provided that her periods have not started again. Breastfeeding also promotes emotional bonding between mother and baby and also helps the mother to lose any extra weight she gained during the pregnancy.

The Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative
The Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative is the World Health Organization’s intervention strategy for strengthening the capacity of national health systems to protect and support breastfeeding. The Princess Alexandra Hospital is in the process of fulfilling the requirements to become a Baby Friendly Hospital. A Baby Friendly Hospital is a health care facility where the practitioners who care for women and babies adopt practices that aim to protect, promote and support exclusive breastfeeding from birth.

How can a mother ensure successful breastfeeding?
The mother must be confident that she can breast feed her baby. Prior to birth all pregnant women should be informed about the benefits and the management of breastfeeding. It is important that all mothers (including mothers who had Cesarean sections) who want to breastfeed their baby start breastfeeding within a half-hour of birth. Mothers should ensure that her baby is properly attached to the breast so that the baby can suckle well. Mothers should also let the baby suckle often whenever he or she wants to, both day and night, and should let the baby continue suckling for as long as he or she wants at each feed. Newborns infants should not be given any food or drink other than breast milk, unless medically indicated. Several health care workers are guilty of the old and misguided view that they should give newborn babies glucose water. This is not only wrong, but it is dangerous for the newborn and can adversely affect the initiation of breastfeeding. Staff at the hospital should show mothers how to breastfeed, and how to maintain lactation even if they should be separated from their infants.
Mothers should not give any artificial teats or pacifiers (also called dummies or soothers) to breastfeeding infants as these will make the baby less interested in sucking from the breast. The vast majority of mothers can successfully breast feed their babies but they need a lot of support especially in the first two weeks of breastfeeding. The father, the family and the community are all important for breastfeeding to succeed.

Training
It is important that all health care staff are trained in skills necessary to implement the National Breast Feeding policy. Our decision-makers must be willing to provide the necessary funds to provide this training and, above all, there must be the political will to have a National Breast Feeding Policy implemented for the entire island and for the Princess Alexandra Hospital to become a Baby Friendly Hospital as soon as possible.

Complementary Feeding
After exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of the baby’s life, the mother can start to introduce complementary foods to help meet the nutritional needs of the baby. These foods should be healthy foods and breast feeding can still continue for two years or more. Your dietitian/ nutritionist, nurse or doctor can provide further information on complementary feeding for the newborn.

Conclusion
The benefits of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life are well established. There is need to continue the campaign to get more women in Anguilla to exclusivelt breastfeed their babies for the first six months of the baby’s life and after six months to continue breastfeeding after complementary foods have been initiated. The support of the family and the community is needed in this imitative.

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