Fighting For Infant Health in Indonesia Continued…

Why is the promotion of breastfeeding, and the work that organizations like Mercy Corps are doing, so important?

The first two years in a child's life are vital to that of healthy development into adulthood. After the age of two much of a child's life is already permanently imprinted upon them. Children who spend their first two years undernourished face irreversible damage, the effects of which linger the remainder of their lives. Undernourishment during their first two years of life can lead to irreversible damage, including stunting, shorter adult height, mental retardation, difficulty in school and with concentration, and decreased birth weight in offspring. Children who are malnourished are at high risk for a number of vitamin deficiencies including; rickets, scurvy, anemia, spina bifida, osteoporosis, and a generally weekend immune system which can leave them susceptible to other diseases and illnesses. All of these causes can thus lead to a shorter life span, and, or a decreased ability to in adulthood to perform and thus effect their income. The undernourishment of children and pregnant mothers is the underlying cause of 3.5 million preventable child deaths each year, only highlighting the extensive impact that infant nutrition plays on the stability and sustainability of a society.

The World Health Organization and UNICEF both recommend that an infant is solely breast fed for the first six months of life. According to UNICEF exclusive breastfeeding had the greatest impact in saving lives of children under the age of five, when looking at data from 42 countries, including Indonesia.

The International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes is both being violated by formula companies and healthcare providers. Promotions, incentive plans, promo-gift bags at hospitals, and free samples seem to be available almost everywhere, all of which are of which are part of the problem. The fight against misleading formula marketing is only acerbated by a lack of education on the facts and health benefits of breastfeeding, and the potential risks of using formula exclusively. Regardless of the law, there seems to be little enforcement of it, and advertising by companies heavily outweighs the efforts of awareness campaigns. This has only led to an increased need for programs such as the one led by the Mercy Corps team in Indonesia.

Efforts to promote exclusive breastfeeding are underway by a variety of organizations, in a number of countries. To learn more about Mercy Corps work on exclusive breastfeeding in Indonesia please click here.

Please see my other posts on breastfeeding and infant nutrition here, including Breast Feeding Needed to Fight Child Growing Malnutrition.

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