30.09.2024
Only 40 percent of mothers exclusively breastfeed their babies until the end of the fourth month, even though almost 90 percent of pregnant women want to breastfeed. Reasons for this include a lack of knowledge and insufficient guidance and support during this important phase of life.
“Healthy start to life” promotes breastfeeding friendliness
This year's World Breastfeeding Week (September 30 – October 6, 2024) therefore has the motto "Breastfeeding-friendly structures. For everyone." and promotes better support for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. With a wide range of information and educational offerings, the Healthy Start – Young Family Network and 55 partner institutions are contributing to making structures and frameworks more breastfeeding-friendly.
Support in a wide variety of locations
Pregnant and breastfeeding women ideally receive support in a variety of settings: During pregnancy, gynecologists, midwives, and maternity clinics provide information about breastfeeding. After birth, hospitals focus on individual support to ensure a successful start to breastfeeding and promote bonding. From the postpartum period until the end of breastfeeding, expert midwives, pediatric nurses, pediatricians, early intervention specialists, and lactation consultants support women with their expertise.
But family counseling centers, mother-child classes, parent cafés, and pharmacies are also resources that can provide information and support. All women benefit from this, regardless of their social background or personal circumstances.
Expert knowledge for everyone advising on breastfeeding
Together with its partner institutions, the Healthy Start – Young Family Network disseminates expert knowledge for all those who provide breastfeeding advice, as well as informational materials for families. The 44 members of the breastfeeding support network play a crucial role, with their diverse connections to young families: professional associations, health insurance providers, self-help groups, counseling centers, political stakeholders, and communications professionals work together to reach as many pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and young families as possible.
Through joint and coordinated communication measures, they aim to sustainably improve breastfeeding support in Germany. This is one of the goals of the National Strategy for Breastfeeding Promotion adopted by the Federal Government in 2021, which focuses on structurally improving the framework conditions for breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding promotes the health of mother and child
Breastfeeding promotes the health of mother and child in many ways and effectively, this has been scientifically proven: In women who have breastfed, the risk of breast and ovarian cancer decreases, as does the risk of type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease.
Prevention and equal opportunities in health
Exclusively breastfed infants have a lower risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and are less likely to develop middle ear infections, gastrointestinal and respiratory infections, and type 2 diabetes than infants fed with formula during their first year of life. Therefore, any support for breastfeeding contributes to prevention and equal access to health, and demonstrably reduces healthcare costs.
Breastfeeding-friendliness is the focus of measures, initiatives and local actions
The Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL), the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ) and the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) as well as the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE) support World Breastfeeding Week and welcome measures and initiatives to improve breastfeeding friendliness in Germany.
In addition, numerous press activities and local campaigns take place nationwide, e.g. in baby-friendly hospitals, breastfeeding-friendly districts or on the initiative of other committed people.
World Breastfeeding Week as the largest joint campaign
With the participation of the WHO and UNICEF, World Breastfeeding Week is the largest joint campaign of all breastfeeding-promoting organizations worldwide. Its aim is to highlight breastfeeding as a natural and self-evident way to feed infants and to inform both families and society about the positive effects of breastfeeding.
Network “Healthy Start into Life”
Healthy Start – Into Life is a network of institutions, professional societies, and associations dedicated to promoting early childhood health – from pregnancy to toddlerhood. The network is primarily responsible for communicating the German Federal Government's National Breastfeeding Strategy. In close collaboration with the National Breastfeeding Strategy Coordination Office at the Institute of Child Nutrition at the Max Rubner Institute, the network pursues the goal of sustainably improving breastfeeding practices in Germany.
The network belongs to the Federal Centre for Nutrition. This centre is located within the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food, which falls under the purview of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture. The Healthy Start – Young Family Network is part of the National Action Plan IN FORM – Germany's initiative for healthy eating and more exercise.
Source: National Centre for Early Childhood Intervention (NZFH) at the Federal Centre for Health Education, press release , 11.09.2024