Agência Brasil

Brasília - The importance of breast feeding until the age of two and the supplementation of breast-feeding after the sixth month were the themes chosen by the Ministry of Health for dissemination during World Breast-Feeding Week.

From August 25 to 31, Brazilian mothers will be informed about the benefits of prolonged nursing and an adequate diet for babies' health. "Children who are breast-fed at least twice a day after the age of one are able to guarantee at least 40% of their daily nutritional requirements. And the mothers continue to guarantee an excellent production of antibodies to protect the child from diseases," explained the coordinator of the Ministry of Health's National Breast-Feeding Policy, Sônia Salviano.

Premature weaning, the coordinator warned, causes harm to both babies and mothers. "The most common disease among children is diarrhea, which often leads to malnutrition and susceptibility to other diseases. Moreover, mothers who most nurse their children reduce postpartum bleeding and the possibility of developing anemia."

Salviano said she hopes the campaign will debunk taboos and arouse in women the desire to nurse. For the past 14 years Brazil is one of around 150 countries that promote campaigns on the advantages of breast-feeding.

Translation: David Silberstein