CRI听力:World Breastfeeding Week

Statistics published by the Beijing Woman-Children Health Care Hospital reveal that 71 percent of newborn babies were breastfed by their mothers during 2010, while the breastfeeding rate for six month old babies was 65 percent. These numbers are much lower than those of ten years ago, so, what reason has caused so many mothers to give up breastfeeding? One mother holding her newborn baby in Beijing had this to say:

"We see formula milk powder ads everywhere nowadays, don't we? We've got some free samples of milk powder at home, if the baby gets used to it, he'd like to keep having it."

Many new mothers say they have received various promotional samples from milk powder manufacturers. Wang Danhua, an expert from Peking Union Medical College Hospital warns that parents should approach formula milk with caution.

"In the market these days, advertisements for milk powder are everywhere. When you watch TV, you'll find all manner of milk powder ads. But think about how many public service advertisements we have promoting breastfeeding nowadays? Very few! Many new parents mistakenly believe breast milk is less nutritious than formula milk powder, thus buying imported milk powder for their child at any cost."

However, if the child becomes dependent on milk powder, it's possible that this could have adverse effects on the child's health. Here is Wang Danhua again.

"Breast milk is the best source of nutrition for babies. It contains large amounts of essential growth factors which are important for strengthening the child's immune system and preventing infectious diseases. The longer that the child is breastfed, the lower the risk is of them getting disease."

According to a Reuters report, scientists have said that babies who are breastfed are less likely to develop behavioral problems by the time they reach 5 years of age, compared to those children raised on formula milk.

In a study published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood journal, British researchers issued a "strengths and difficulties" questionnaire to parents, who answered questions according to their child's personal situation. They found that abnormal scores were less common in children who were breastfed for at least four months.

A number of the benefits of breastfeeding are already well known - for instance, breastfed babies have a lower rate of infection, and mothers who breastfeed have a reduced risk of contracting breast cancer.

With more public advocacy campaigns and through personal efforts of independent research, a growing number of mothers will surely start to believe in the benefits of breastfeeding.

For CRI, I am Zhang Wan.