Making a difference to working parents

World breast feeding week takes place from August 1st to August 7th every year. WORLD ALLIANCE OF BREASTFEEDING ACTION (WABA) in collaboration with WHO and UNICEF promotes breast feeding week every year. There is theme every year to raise awareness about certain factors that inhibit success in exclusive breast milk and the theme for this year is Making a difference to working parents. Dr G Durga Padmaja, Consultant Paediatrician, Apollo Hospitals says, “According to this year theme, exclusive breast feeding is recommended till 6 months and to continue breast feeding till 2 years with complementary feeds. Exclusive breast feeding helps in growth and development of child, reducing infections, lower incidence of allergies, provides greater cognitive function. It also improves mothers’ health by decreasing the incidence of breast cancers and ovarian cancers.”

Dr G Durga Padmaja, says, “There are increasing number of working women in childbearing age. WHO has noticed that though early breast feeding was started in first hour of birth it was discontinued at 2 to 3 months. This was due to barriers at workplace, returning to work earlier, full time work, short breastfeeding duration, minimal workplace support, inadequate facilities at workplace. Exclusive breast feed can be increased if there is Breast feeding friendly workplace policy.”

Governments, workplaces and community should aid in facilitating extended breast feeding. The paid maternity leave for women should be extended to 6 months. Provision of lactation rooms with all facilities, paid time offs for breast feeding, Breast pumping breaks for employees to express breast feed, flexible work adjustment, reduced workload, should be facilitated at workplaces. Exclusive Breast feeding is easier when the workplace provides support and dedicated time and space to breast feed or express milk, therefore Companies should step up to support mothers.