World Breastfeeding Week 2025: Benefits for Mother and Baby
World Breastfeeding Week 2025: Benefits for Mother and Baby
Every year the first week of August is observed as World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) ,a global call to protect, promote and support breastfeeding. In 2025 the focus is on creating durable, system-level support that enables every mother who wants to breastfeed to do so safely and confidently. This article summarizes the evidence-based benefits of breastfeeding for both infants and mothers, explains why systems matter, and suggests practical ways clinicians, policymakers and communities can help.
What is World Breastfeeding Week 2025?
World Breastfeeding Week is observed August 1–7 and is coordinated by global partners including WHO, UNICEF and civil society allies. The 2025 emphasis asks countries and communities to priorities breastfeeding by creating sustainable support systems ,covering health services, workplace policies and community networks. 0
Top benefits for babies
Breast milk is uniquely tailored to an infant’s nutritional and immunologic needs. Key benefits include:
- Immune protection: breast milk contains antibodies and immune factors that reduce risks of diarrhoea, pneumonia and other infections in early life.
- Optimal nutrition: the composition of milk adapts over time to meet growth and developmental needs, supporting healthy weight gain and organ development.
- Reduced long-term disease risk: exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months is associated with lower risks of childhood obesity and some chronic diseases later in life.
- Neurodevelopment & bonding: breastfeeding supports cognitive development and strengthens mother–infant bonding through close physical contact and hormonal pathways.
(These benefits are consistently highlighted in WHO and UNICEF guidance on breastfeeding support and child survival.) 1
Top benefits for mothers
The advantages of breastfeeding extend to maternal health and wellbeing:
- Lower disease risk: breastfeeding is linked with reduced lifetime risks of breast and ovarian cancer, and a lower incidence of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
- Postpartum recovery: oxytocin released during breastfeeding helps uterine contraction and reduces postpartum bleeding.
- Mental health & bonding: many mothers report enhanced emotional wellbeing and stronger attachment; breastfeeding can reduce stress and support postpartum mood.
- Natural child-spacing: lactational amenorrhea (when exclusive breastfeeding suppresses ovulation) can delay the return of fertility for some months, helping with birth spacing when practiced correctly.
(WHO/UNICEF statements and reviews summarizes these maternal benefits and the need to make them accessible equitably.) 2
Why systems and support matter
Individual choice to breastfeed is shaped strongly by the environment: hospital practices, maternity leave policies, workplace lactation support, marketing of breast milk substitutes, and community norms. WBW 2025 highlights that investments in health systems, workforce training (e.g., lactation counselors), and family-friendly policies produce lasting gains in breastfeeding rates and child health. 3
Quick practical actions: how to support breastfeeding (who can do what)
Health systems & providers
- Implement Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative practices and ensure skin-to-skin contact and early initiation of breastfeeding after birth.
- Provide routine lactation support in antenatal and postnatal care, and train staff to manage common breastfeeding problems (e.g., latch difficulties, mastitis).
- Monitor and limit inappropriate marketing of breast milk substitutes, following international code guidance.
Employers & workplaces
- Offer paid maternity leave and protected time and space for expressing milk (lactation rooms, breaks, refrigeration).
- Instituting flexible hours and remote work options where possible supports continued breastfeeding after mothers return to work.
Communities & families
- Expand peer support programmes (mother-to-mother groups, La Leche League, community health workers).
- Normalize breastfeeding in public through public messaging and safe, welcoming spaces.
Benefits at a glance
| Beneficiary | Key benefits |
|---|---|
| Baby | Immune protection, optimal nutrition, better neurodevelopment, lower infection & obesity risk |
| Mother | Lower cancer & metabolic disease risk, faster recovery, improved emotional wellbeing |
| Society | Reduced healthcare costs, economic returns, environmental sustainability (less formula waste) |
(Summary synthesized from WHO/UNICEF evidence and WBW 2025 advocacy materials.) 5
Frequently asked questions (short answers)
- Q: When is World Breastfeeding Week?
- A: Every year from August 1 to August 7. WBW 2025 focuses on sustainable support systems for breastfeeding. 6
- Q: How long should a mother exclusively breastfeed?
- A: WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months, with continued breastfeeding along with appropriate complementary foods up to 2 years or beyond when possible. 7
- Q: What if a mother cannot breastfeed?
- A: Skilled counselling should explore causes and support alternatives. When breastfeeding is not possible, safe replacement feeding using properly prepared formula or pasteurized donor human milk (where available) should be guided by health professionals.
Comments
Post a Comment