Pictures of Bottles in Coffins

For several days now I have seen this graphic popping up on my Facebook feed and in several of the blogs that I follow. It is creating quite the storm and getting lots of negative feedback. I completely understand how many in the developed world would find this offensive. I would be the first to tell women I am working with in the US, that while I recommend breastfeeding, I know that is not possible for some women. I think it is important to support them in whatever they decide and for them to not feel any guilt over choosing not to or not being able to.

What I think is being overlooked though in all the negative feedback is that the statistic is from the WORLD Health Organization (i.e. an organization that predominately works with people in the developing world). Now I have not had the time to find and research that specific statistic but other statistics show a similar story. For example, they show us that 4 million children die each year around the world, the majority of them in the developing world. It is estimated that 1.3 of those children could be saved each year with exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months and partial breastfeeding (solid food added) through the first year. In fact, they are also discovering in the developing world, in places like Ghana and Nepal that initiating breastfeeding in that first day and especially in the first hour is critical to a baby's survival. In fact, 20% more babies survive if they breastfeed in that first hour of life.

Here in Indonesia there are entire store aisles that are devoted to baby milk formula. There are billboards, advertisements on Facebook (in fact there is one on my feed right now from Enfagrow), and brochures with free samples at lots of health care facilities. They show happy, Einstein-like, musical virtuoso kids that sleep during long road trips and through the night. Not a bad thing if you have enough money to afford the very expensive formula and have clean water to mix it with, but that is rare in many homes across Indonesia and other places in the developing world. Instead they make the formula stretch by only putting a small percentage of the recommended amount in the bottle and make it with unclean water. So the baby slowly loses weight because they are not getting enough calories and then they get sick from the water. In little ones they can quickly get dehydrated and then they die. In places like Indonesia, too counter those magic pictures of formula fed babies they need graphics like the one above.

This week is World Breastfeeding Week and I think this week and every week of the year we need help each mother make the decision that is right for her and her baby. It is important she know the facts and the risks for where she is living. Then we need to support her in that decision and make sure she has the resources she needs!

The logo for this year's World Breastfeeding Week (August 1st-7th)