PRACTICE OF BREASTFEEDING

~ like all mammals human being have evolved to be able to feed their young.

~ Historically infants who didn't have access to breastmilk almost always died

~ In early 1900 food scientists in Europe and America began developing milk substitute

~ Initially to be prescribed by doctors for infants whose mother's had died in childbirth or were unable to feed their babies due to serious illness

~ Even then breast milk substitute were inferior to breastmilk because they couldn't offer a baby passive immunity but they could give a baby who had lost access to his mother's milk a chance to survive into childhood

~ Soon it became clear that there was a business opportunity in infant feeding.

~ But how could women all over the world be persuaded to pay for something that had once been free

~ Through clever Marketing company's formula manufacturers began suggesting to mother's

~ Health care provider across the world that infant formula was scientifically formulated and thus healthier for babies than breast milk

~ Mother's believed and breastfeeding rates plummeted.

~ Once the western market's had bed saturated formula manufacturers began targeting lower and middle income countries advertising infant formula as a superior way to feed babies 

~ Because water supplies were unreliable in many of these areas and mother's didn't have the resource to sterilize the water and the bottles used To prepare the formula

~ The incidence of infant diarrheal disease and death increased dramatically increased in these countries

~ Infant were unable to defend themselves against the pathogens in their contaminated baby bottles

~ Formula would often leaving infants malnutrition and with suppressed immune system

~ Around world ,outrage grew an international boycott was launched against the leading formula manufacturers

~ WHO released guidelines for the marketing of breast milk substitutes

~ But in many parts of the world the damage has yet to repaired

~ Breastfeeding was a skill That was passed down from one generation to next with grandmother's to daughter's

~ The practice of Breastfeeding was interrupted by generation of mother's who lost this skill

~ Mother's choice to exclusively breastfeed her baby may will be the start of bright future .