UNICEF UK's Baby Friendly Initiative Call to Action for breastfeeding urges the UK and devolved governments to take four key steps to create a supportive, enabling environment for women who want to breastfeed.
Read the newly launched Call to Action for breastfeeding.
In the UK breastfeeding is a highly emotive subject because so many families have not breastfed, or have experienced the trauma of trying very hard to breastfeed and not succeeding. No parent should have to feel the pain of any implication that they have not done the best for their child, but the UK context has become so fraught that conversations about breastfeeding are shut down.
Powerful new evidence about the benefits of breastfeeding provides a compelling case to alter prevailing attitudes and practices.
Unicef’s Baby Friendly Initiative is calling on UK and devolved governments to implement four key actions to create a supportive, enabling environment for women who want to breastfeed:
- Develop a National Infant Feeding Strategy Board in each of the four nations, tasked with developing a comprehensive National Infant Feeding Strategy and implementation plan.
- Include actions to promote, protect and support breastfeeding in all policy areas where breastfeeding has an impact.
- Implement evidence-based initiatives that support breastfeeding, including the Unicef UK Baby Friendly Initiative, across all maternity, health visiting, neonatal and children’s centre services.
- Protect the public from harmful commercial interests by adopting, in full, the International Code of Marketing Breastmilk Substitutes (“the Code”).
Share your thoughts on changing the conversation around breastfeeding by commenting on Baby Friendly Initiative blog: Changing the Conversation Around Breastfeeding.
You can also join the conversation on Twitter: #BFICalltoAction
Published Wednesday 13 April 2016
Sustain: Sustain The alliance for better food and farming advocates food and agriculture policies and practices that enhance the health and welfare of people and animals, improve the working and living environment, enrich society and culture and promote equity.
