World Breastfeeding Week

 

World Breastfeeding Week is one of the largest campaigns organized by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action and jointly conducted by international organizations such as WHO and UNICEF to convey the benefits of breastfeeding. World Breastfeeding Week has been held annually in approximately 120 countries since 1991 and has been linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) since 2016. In most countries it takes place from August 1st to 7th each year, but in some countries it takes place in May, October and November.

 

The Japan NICU Family Association (JOIN) collaborates with the European NICU Family Association (EFCNI) to actively support and raise awareness of World Breastfeeding Week. JOIN hopes that by strongly supporting and supporting breastfeeding, more newborns will benefit from breastfeeding. In particular, it is very important to support preterm babies and newborns in need of intensive care. This is because breastfeeding can alleviate complications and family anxiety that occur in preterm births and hospitalized newborns. However, in reality, breastfeeding preterm infants can be difficult. For a variety of reasons, preterm infants are often unable to breastfeed due to poor feeding or poorly developed gastrointestinal tract. In addition, lack of sufficient information and support regarding breastfeeding methods for mothers of preterm infants and mental pressure from the mothers themselves and their surroundings are also major obstacles. JOIN will participate in the campaign with the aim of raising awareness of the importance of breastfeeding for preterm infants and hospitalized newborns. The approach to breastfeeding and the challenges faced vary from family to family. JOIN and EFCNI consider #BreastfeedingIsAJourney (breastfeeding is like a journey) and hope that every family can find the best way for themselves and their baby.