In the framework of World Breastfeeding Week, it is important to remember that breastfeeding is not just a personal choice: it is also a powerful public health action. Despite multiple promotion campaigns, we still face social, cultural, workplace, and medical barriers that make breastfeeding difficult, especially during the first six months of life, when it should be exclusive.
Beyond its nutritional value, breast milk provides immune protection, regulates the gut microbiome, and significantly reduces the risk of respiratory and gastrointestinal infections, as well as chronic diseases later in life. On an emotional level, it strengthens the mother-baby bond and supports the child’s neurological development, even promoting better stress management in later stages of life.
But the benefits are not only for the baby. The most recent scientific evidence confirms that breastfeeding also reduces the risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and type 2 diabetes in mothers, in addition to supporting the natural postpartum recovery process.
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However, breastfeeding is not always easy. Many women need real, judgment-free support. Misinformation, pressure to return to work soon, the lack of appropriate spaces, and limited professional support are some of the factors that can put the process at risk.
That is why, rather than celebrating breastfeeding for one week, we should commit to protecting it all year round: in medical consultations, in workplaces, in health systems, and in the community.
Breastfeeding is not a trend or an imposition. It is a powerful, natural, science-backed tool that deserves to be supported, protected, and respected.
