Mothers who bet on breastfeeding in Spain grow
Much has been said about the benefits of lactation, for both women and babies. However, not all mothers bet on breastfeeding the little ones once they are born. Several are the repairs they find, from a lack of information to be guided by false myths about this way of feeding the smallest of the house.
However, in recent times the number of mothers who bet on the lactation It has grown. This is clear from the data offered by the National Health Survey prepared by the National Institute of Statistics, INE, which collects the data for the year 2017.
Continuous increase
As indicated by the data of this study, a favorable evolution in breastfeeding patterns has been observed in Spain in the last 20 years. The greatest increase in this diet in recent times stands out, especially breastfeeding exclusively during the 6 months first months.
There is also a clear increase in the duration of breastfeeding, both in frequency and duration. By 6 months, almost 40% of women continue to breastfeed exclusively, which is a continuous increase since 1995, with higher slope between 2011 and 2017.
Until 6 weeks, the 73,9% of the children receive the breast exclusively. This percentage is reduced to 63.9%. At 6 months, as already said, the number of children who receive the breast exclusively is at 39%. A sample of how little by little the number of mothers who have understood the benefits of breastfeeding have grown during the last 20 years allowing a greater number of babies to use these positive results.
Benefits of breastfeeding
As has been said before, more and more children in Spain benefit from the positive results of breastfeeding. These are some of what stand out from organisms such as Unicef:
- Breast milk is the best food and the most nutritious for babies
- Breastfeeding has benefits for the health of the mother and child, protects them from diseases.
- Breastfeeding creates a unique bond between the mother and her baby
- Improves child obesity rates and reduces mortality rates.
From Unicef, the following tips to practice breastfeeding are also given:
- Start breastfeeding in the first half hour after delivery.
- Breastfeed without restrictions, every time the baby asks for it.
- In the first 6 months, feed the baby only with breast milk, without introducing water, washes or prepared juices.
- Supplement breast milk with adequate food from 6 months and maintain it until 2 years.
Damián Montero
