Prof. Dr. Nilgün Köksal, Head of the Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Uludag University, Bursa, announced that the week of 1-7 October is celebrated as Breastfeeding Week in our country.
Dr. Zeynep Gizem Ergün Özdel, Lecturer at Bursa Uludağ University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Child Health and Diseases - Division of Social Paediatrics, stated that during breastfeeding, there is an emotional and psychological sharing between mother and baby that grows and develops the baby, and a secure bond is established. Dr. Özdel said that breast milk provides health benefits not only to the baby but also to the mother, breastfeeding protects the mother from breast, cervical and ovarian cancers, diseases such as osteoporosis, and reduces the need for insulin in mothers with diabetes. He also stated that breast milk protects the baby from infectious diseases and diseases such as diabetes, blood pressure, celiac, allergy, etc. that the baby may experience in the future; that it has protective effects against diseases such as leukaemia, and that breast milk benefits both the mother and the baby. He stated that breast milk also contributes to the family budget and that it is easy for mothers as they do not have to deal with the preparation of formula.
Speaking about the positive effects of breast milk on public health, Özdel mentioned the statement made by the World Health Organisation, stating that if all children are breastfed, 823 thousand babies and 30 thousand mothers can survive every year, but the world is far behind the World Health Organisation's 2025 target of 50 percent of all babies being breastfed in the first 6 months, so in the "Breastfeeding Week", it is tried to raise awareness about breastfeeding only for the first 6 months and then continuing breastfeeding until the age of 2.
Dr. Özdel also mentioned the World Health Organisation and UNICEF's slogan "Let's Make Breastfeeding Possible in the Workplace" this year and stated that in order to support breastfeeding in the hospital, they ensure that new mothers who have just given birth use their milk leave for 3 hours for the first 6 months and 1.5 hours for the next 6 months and plan their breastfeeding hours.
Emphasising that each mother's milk is special for her own baby, Dr Özdel said that the milk of the mothers of premature babies and babies born on time has the characteristics to protect their own babies.
Dr Özdel underlined that there is an increase in some components such as antibodies in breast milk in order to protect against infection during the period when babies are sick; He stated that breast milk matures with the growth of the baby and is shaped according to the needs of the baby. He said that ready-made foods, which are advertised and said to support immunity, do not reach breast milk in terms of value.
