Empowering Global Health Systems to Protect, Promote and Support Optimal Breastfeeding
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 15536409 |
|---|---|
| Authors | David T Zhu (0000-0002-0173-495X, Virginia Commonwealth University, corresponding author), Tanu Gupta (0000-0002-6969-5504, Yale University), Tarini Gupta (Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences Yale School of Public Health New Haven Connecticut USA), Rafael Pérez-Escamilla (0000-0001-9416-8039, Yale University) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 21 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | e13753-e13753 |
| Publication date | 2024-10-31 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Maternal and Child Nutrition (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1740-8695 • E-ISSN: 1740-8709 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/mcn.13753 |
| PMID | 39482833 |
| OpenAlex | W4403963825 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 12 |
Breastfeeding is a critical public health strategy for optimal child development and maternal health across the life course. The 2021 Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries and Risk Factors Study reveals that, despite reductions in mortality and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) attributed to suboptimal breastfeeding practices-namely, non-exclusive breastfeeding during the first 6 months or early discontinuation within the first 2 years-low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) continue to bear a staggering 50-fold higher burden compared to high-income nations. This inequity signals a pressing global health priority. Hence, we propose to address these challenges by first, expanding the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) reach through community-driven efforts such as the Baby-Friendly Community Initiative (BFCI) to enhance breastfeeding support in both clinical and community settings; second, embedding breastfeeding counselling within national health and social protection programmes to fill in gaps in culturally competent care, drawing on large scale breastfeeding peer counselling programme experiences like the one being implemented by the US Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC); third, improving maternity leave policies and workplace accommodations for breastfeeding women and fourth, stringent regulation of exploitative commercial milk formula (CMF) marketing to combat misinformation and reduce health inequities. Governments must implement strong, evidence-driven policies-such as strict monitoring and regulation of product labelling and digital media marketing-to establish safeguards against the powerful influence of the CMF industry. Collectively, these strategies will enhance breastfeeding outcomes, reduce health disparities and drive progress across countries towards meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goals
Breastfeeding · Economic growth · Environmental health · Global health · Health care · Misinformation · Political science · Public health · Breastfeeding Practices and Influences · Child Nutrition and Feeding Issues · Child Nutrition and Water Access · Medicine · Nursing · Pediatrics
Global burden and strength of evidence for 88 risk factors in 204 countries and 811 subnational locations, 1990–2021
Breastfeeding and maternal health outcomes
Impact of the Baby‐friendly Hospital Initiative on breastfeeding and child health outcomes
Breastfeeding
Baby‐Friendly Community Initiative—From national guidelines to implementation
Violations of Vietnamese laws related to the online marketing of breastmilk substitutes
Violations of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes
What Will It Take to Improve Breastfeeding Outcomes in the United States Without Leaving Anyone Behind
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |