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15th July 2000
Malaysian Paediatric Association
Press Statement on
World Breastfeeding Week- Its Your Right!
Breastfeeding, for compelling scientific
reasons, has been advocated as the best and most natural way to
ensure the nutritional, physical, emotional and mental health for
the mother and baby. Breastfeeding can contribute to significantly
reduce the incidence, severity, and duration of common illnesses
among young children and in particular, upper respiratory infections,
gastrointestinal infections and middle ear infections. Wolrd wide,
improved breastfeeding practices can save an estimated 1.5 million
children a year. It would also lower mothers’ lifetime risks of
breast and ovarian cancers and osteoporosis.
Thus, to be breastfed is part of
the fundamental birth right of the child to food and health and
the act of breastfeeding is an essential component in assuring the
child’s right to the highest level of health [Article 24, UN Convention
on the Rights of the Child, binding in all governments in the world].
Every mother has the right to breastfeed her child. She also has
the right to correct information on successful breastfeeding and
to ensure her own health.
In 1990, The Innocenti Declaration
on Breastfeeding, endorsed by World Health Organization and UNICEF
recommended that young children be exclusively breastfed for 6 months.
Thereafter, breastfeeding should continue with the addition of solid
foods for 2 years and beyond.
It is clear that to achieve these
international and basic recommendations for mother and child health,
women and their children have special needs. At the beginning of
this new millenium, more and more women are entering the work force
and the majority are in the childbearing age. Working mothers must
not be marginalized but need an environment that empowers them to
breastfeed their children. Working women do not lose the right to
do this just because they are in employment. Clearly women have
productive and reproductive work to do. We must recognize the fundamental
contribution of women to the welfare of the family and to the development
of society.
On Saturday, June 3 2000, The International
Labour Organization [ILO] Committee on Maternity Protection voted
to increase Maternity Leave to 14 weeks. The first ILO Maternity
Protection Convention in 1919 [81 years ago] established the principles
of job-protected maternity leave, income replacement for mothers
on leave. The convention was perceptive in protecting the health
of mothers and children and called for two half-hour nursing breaks
for women returning to work after leave. The convention was revised
in 1952 and this was strengthened by the addition that the nursing
breaks would be paid and counted as working time.
It is timely that the theme for
World Breastfeeding Week 2000 is ‘Breastfeeding –Its Your Right!’
The Malaysian Labour Laws ensure 8 weeks of paid maternity leave
both in the public and private sector. This should be increased
to 14 weeks of paid maternity leave as provided by the latest ILO
convention 2000. Further, employed mothers need 2 half-hourly breaks
for breastfeeding or breast milk expression in a safe and clean
space at the work place.
It is only by the adoption of the
above provisions that every woman can realize her right to breastfeed
her children and of the child’s right to the highest attainable
standard of health. The Malaysia Paediatric Association call upon
all employers to provide mothers with work conditions to make it
possible for them to exercise this right to health for themselves
and their children.
For information on The 3 Steps
to Successful Breastfeeding in Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese or English,
please fax your requests to Fax No. 03-733-9117
Malaysian Paediatric Association
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