Breast Feeding

  Breast feeding is a chance of giving your child immunity to so many diseases. The way this is accompolished is that the baby  gets the mothers antibodies and that protects the child. Both of my children were breastfeed the first year of their lives. This life sustaining act of nursing serves multiple purposes. The most important purposes to me was that my children were healthy the first year of their livesand continue to be. Breastfeeding allowed bonding to take place, synchrony and a secure attatchment was definitely there.
  Mothers in South Africa are encouraged to stop breast feeding their children if any problem appear and they are told to start giving formula. The health care providers lack the skills needed to give support and offer advice. If the mother is HIV positive there is more uncertainty. Some counselors are confused about what the correct practices regarding HIV and feeding practices. Until recently the world health organization (WHO) advised HIV-positive mothers to advoid breastfeeding if they were able to afford, prepare and store formula milk safely. Research have since emerged in south africa that a combination of antiretroviral and breastfeeding can significantly reduce the transmission of HIV to babies. The antiretroviral drug has to be taken throughout breastfeeding and until twelve months old. This drug allows the child the benefits of being nursed. It is still a challanged to change the engrained culture of formula feeding in south africa. The general idea of people in South Africa is that there is no need to breast feed when you can give formula. South africa is one of the countries that gives formula away free. The organization giving away the formula thought they were doing a good deed trying to stop the spread of HIV.The unforseen consequences was that mother that were not affected by HIV started to use formula also. In south africa there is a belief that formula was superior to breast milk. The marketing campaign clams that formula contains special ingredients that improves the babies health. After four months of maternity leave mother that are working outside the home are not encouraged to pump there milk so babies can still get the best nutrition.
    I was enlightened concerning the practices of breastfeeding in South Africa. I can not do much about the situation in South africa. I can try and encourage breast feeding even more than I do know. In my family child care program I can get material for my parents to have. I will also become more knowledgeable about the and speak to all that will listen.

References
http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/88/1/10-030110/en/