| Vegan Health News | May 6 2005 |
Breastfeeding - Government Action Critical
More than eight out of ten Australian babies are being put at risk due to incorrect feeding by the time they are six months old and one in ten is at risk at three months according to new research.
In the wake of the findings by a Melbourne research team, the Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) today called for urgent Government action to support breastfeeding mothers and counter widespread misinformation about early infant feeding, including inaccurate baby food labelling.
The Melbourne based study, by researchers Dr Lisa Amir and Ms Susan Donath, is published in the latest edition of the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health.
Based on the National Health Survey, the study found that contrary to National Health and Medical Research Council recommendations for babies to be breastfed exclusively for the first six months of life, more than 13 per cent of Australian mothers were feeding babies solids at three months and more than 88 per cent of babies were on solids at six months.
ABA President Wendy Burge said the findings were very disturbing. She urged Governments to implement an ABA blueprint for action, the ABA Breastfeeding Leadership Plan, to counter misinformation and to provide support to help mothers maintain exclusive breastfeeding.
'The role of breastfeeding in helping prevent obesity and various chronic illness in later life, and in lowering the risks of common childhood infections is well established, ' she said. 'But it is obvious the message is not getting through, with serious implications.'
Ms Burge said inaccurate advice on baby food labels encouraged mothers to introduce solids at 4 months rather than the recommended 6 months.
The Association has urged the federal agency Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) to urgently revise labelling laws to protect mothers from mistakenly introducing solid foods too early. A FSANZ review has been underway for two years with some parts of the industry attempting to delay the changes.
The Breastfeeding Leadership Plan is available on the ABA website www.breastfeeding.asn.au.
Further information: Wendy Burge 0408809229, Lee King 0408 535687 or Dr Lisa Amir: 03 8341 8577 (Mon-Thur) or l.amir@latrobe.edu.au.
Reference: Australian Breastfeeding Association.
