WBW 2007 The 1st 1 Hour Save One Million Babies!

World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) 2007

The following is adapted from the WABA Action Folder

Breastfeeding: The 1st Hour Early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding for six months canSave more than ONE million babies!

Objectives:
• To mobilise the world to the potential for saving ONE million babies starting with ONE simple action: allowing the baby to initiate breastfeeding in the first hour of life
• To promote immediate skin-to-skin contact of the mother and baby and continuing with exclusive breastfeeding for six months
• To encourage ministers of health and other authorities to include the initiation of breastfeeding in the first hour as a key indicator for preventive health
• To ensure that families know how important a baby’s first hour is, so that they can make sure that their babies are given this opportunity

To support the newly revised and revitalised Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI), with its emphasis on integration and expansion, and on the early initiation of breastfeeding.

Why is skin-to-skin contact after birth and breastfeeding within the first hour of life so important?
1. The mother’s body helps to keep the baby appropriately warm, which is especially important for small and low birth weight babies.

2. The baby is less stressed, calmer and has steadier breathing and heart rates.

3. The baby is exposed first to the bacteria from the mother which are mostly harmless, or against which the mother’s milk contains protective factors. The mother’s bacteria colonise the baby’s gut and skin and compete with more harmful bacteria from health providers and the environment, and so prevent them from causing infection.

4. The baby receives colostrum for the first feeds – liquid gold, sometimes called the gift of life.
• Colostrum is rich in immunologically active cells, antibodies and other protective proteins. Thus it serves as the baby’s first immunization. It protects against many infections. It helps to regulate the baby’s own developing immune system
• It contains growth factors, which help the infant’s intestine to mature and function effectively. This makes it more difficult for micro-organisms and allergens to get into the baby’s body
• It is rich in Vitamin A, which helps protect the eyes and reduce infection
• It stimulates the baby to have bowel movements so that meconium is cleared quickly from the gut. This helps get rid of the substances in the baby's body that produce jaundice and therefore may help reduce it
• It comes in small volumes, just right for the new baby.

5. Touching, mouthing and suckling at the breast stimulates oxytocin release – this is important for many reasons:
• Oxytocin causes the uterus to contract. This may help delivery of the placenta and reduce maternal bleeding after the birth10
• Oxytocin stimulates other hormones which cause a mother to feel calm, relaxed, and some would say “in love” with her baby
• Oxytocin stimulates the flow of milk from the breast.

6. Women experience incredible joy with this first meeting of their child! And fathers often share this delight. The process of bonding between mother and baby begins.

Overall, skin-to-skin contact and early feeds with colostrum are associated with reduced mortality in the first month of life. They are also associated with increased exclusive breastfeeding and longer duration of breastfeeding in the following months, leading to improved health and reduced mortality later on as well.

Is normal breastfeeding initiation in the first hour all that is needed to guarantee continued exclusive breastfeeding?
Absolutely not! Mothers need continued support to breastfeed exclusively for 6 months. The family, health workers, traditional healers and others in the community are all important contributors to their network of support. Health providers, health visitors and others need clinical training in assessment of breastfeeding, identification of problems, as well as knowledge and skills for helping the mother to resolve difficulties. Follow-up by a health worker within 48-72 hours after the birth, again after one week, and at appropriate times thereafter provides the opportunity to intervene early if there are problems, as well as to reassure the mother when things are going well.

Implementation of the newly revised and revitalised BFHI with its 10 Steps to Successful Breastfeeding along with adherence to The International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes and Subsequent World Health Assembly Resolutions provide the support structure needed to protect, promote and support optimal breastfeeding.

The Remarkable First Hour of Life
When healthy infants are placed skin-to-skin on their mother’s abdomen and chest immediately after birth, they exhibit remarkable capabilities. They are alert. They can crawl, stimulated by mother’s gentle touch, across her abdomen, reaching her breast. They begin to touch and massage the breast. This first gentle touch of a baby’s hand or head at the breast stimulates release of maternal oxytocin, thus beginning both the flow of milk and enhancing the feelings of love for the baby. Then the baby smells, mouths and licks the mother’s nipple. Finally, he or she attaches to the breast and feeds. This sequence of events is important for the survival of human young.

Although many authors describe these normal infant behaviours, we are just now discovering the importance of providing the opportunity for a mother and baby to have the experience. For the first time, researchers have assessed the effect of the timing of the first breastfeed on newborn mortality – showing that mortality may be less if infants start to breastfeed in the first hour.

Mistaken Beliefs: Barriers to Normal Breastfeeding Initiation

1. Colostrum is not good, or even dangerous for babies. NO!
Colostrum is essential for normal growth and development:
• First immunization – protects against intestinal and other infections • Purgative to reduce severity of jaundice

2. Infants need special teas or other fluids before breastfeeding. NO!
Any pre-lacteal feeds (feed given before breastfeeding has started) increase the infant’s risk of infection, reduce the likelihood of exclusive breastfeeding and shorten the duration of breastfeeding.

3. Babies will not get enough food or fluid with only colostrum and breastmilk. NO!
Colostrum is sufficient for a baby’s first feeds. It is normal for a newborn to lose 3-6% of birth weight. They are born with a store of water and sugar in their bodies to use at this time.

4. Baby will get too cold. NO!
Babies are at safe temperatures when skin-to-skin with their mothers. Amazingly, the mother’s breast temperature rises 0.5 degrees C within 2 minutes of having the baby on her chest.
5. Mothers are too exhausted after labour and delivery to feed their baby immediately. NO!
The surge of oxytocin that comes with skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding helps to calm a mother after the birth of her baby.

6. It is very important to suction the baby’s mouth, nose, and oropharynx before the first breath to prevent inhaling birth fluids, especially if the baby had a bowel movement during the labour. NO!
Suctioning the normal healthy newborn does not reduce the occurrence of meconium aspiration, and may injure the tissue of the mouth, throat or vocal cords. Gastric suction also interferes with breastfeeding.

7. Vitamin K and medication to prevent gonorrhea eye infection must be given immediately after birth. NO!
The American College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine state that these important preventive measures can be delayed for as long as an hour, until after the baby has breastfed, without risk to the infant.1,11 They should not in any case require separation of mother and baby.

8. Women require pharmacologic intervention to cope with the pain of labour. Normally, NO!
Use of labour analgesia/anaesthesia may sedate the baby, hindering breast-seeking behaviour and delaying initiation of breastfeeding for hours or days. Use of complementary therapies including having a companion during labour help women to cope with the pain, and the obstetric outcome may be improved.

9. It requires too much work and time to help the mother during this time. NO! While the baby is on the mother’s chest, the birth attendant can continue to do the usual assessment of mother and baby or other duties. The baby will find his or her own way to the breast.


For full action folder see: http://worldbreastfeedingweek.org/downloads.htm

Baby Massage Classes

We now have Baby Massage Classes at Mamalink.

Group Classes.

These are held in relaxing environment & should be fun for you & your baby. It also provides an opportunity for you to meet with other parents while you gain confidence in learning to read your baby's signals & develop your massage routine.

Infant massage benefits both baby & parents by:

Relaxing & soothing parents & baby.

Deepening the relationship between parents & child.

Helping parents to understand the baby's body language.

Improving baby's sleep by soothing the nervous system.

Relieving colic & tummy discomfort by relaxing the intestinal tract.

Promoting brain & motor skill development.

Strengthening respiratory, muscular, circulatory & immune systems.

Providing a fun time together.



For more info : Contact Santhi on 03 20951206 or see our website

http://www.mamalink.com.my/