Ample Time to Breastfeed & Importance of Nutrition Critical for ...

Ample Time to Breastfeed & Importance of Nutrition Critical for Moms and Babies. Posted June 14, 2017. This article also appeared on the Crowd360 website. Note:MCSPendedinDecember2019.Nonewcontentisaddedtothissite. Search Skiptocontent AboutPartnersLeadershipPublic-PrivatePartnershipsWhereWeWorkedOurWorkChildHealthChildHealthCaseManagementChildHealthTaskForceCommunityHealthCivilSocietyCommunityHealthWorkersChildSurvivalandHealthGrantsProgramGenderAddressingGender-BasedViolenceMaleEngagementandCouples’Decision-MakingEnsuringGender-Sensitive,RespectfulServicesPromotingGender-EquityintheHealthWorkforceHealthSystemsStrengtheningEquityHumanCapacityDevelopmentHIVandTBImmunizationNewVaccineIntroductionRoutineImmunizationInnovationsMalariaMalariainPregnancyMaternalHealthMetrics&MeasurementforImprovedCareLocalSystemsandServiceDeliveryAntenatalCareMeasurement,MonitoringandEvaluationKnowledgeManagementLearningMonitoring&EvaluationNewbornHealthEssentialNewbornCareNewbornResuscitationKangarooMotherCareNewbornInfectionPreventionandManagementQualityScale-upNutritionIntegratedAnemiaPreventionandControlInfantandYoungChildNutritionMaternalNutritionIntegratingNutritionintoChildHealthReproductiveHealthPostpartumFamilyPlanningIntegrationofServicesAdolescentsSocialandBehaviorChangeCommunicationWater,SanitationandHygiene(WASH)ResourcesNewsletterArchive VeronicaSitoi,amotheroffive,athomenearMaputo,Mozambique.Sitoiwasvisitedbyacommunityhealthworkertrainedinfamilyplanning,nutrition,andprimaryhealthcare.(CourtesyofKateHolt/Jhpiego/MCHIP) ThisarticlealsoappearedontheCrowd360website. MillicentOlangobecomesemotionalassherecallswhathappenedafewyearsago.Oneweekafterdeliveringababyboy,shereturnedtoherplaceofwork–KombewaHospitalinSemeSub-county,Kenya–torequestthreemonthsofmaternityleave.However,herrequestwasdeniedandMillicentwastoldtoreportbacktoworkwithinonemonthofherson’sdelivery. Shepleadedtoextendthistimetotwomonthsofunpaidleave,butultimatelyhadtoreturntoworkwithinonemonthorrisklosingherjob.Accordingtohospitalpolicy,onlytechnicalstaffweregiventhreemonthsofmaternityleave,whilesupportstafflikeMillicentgetonemonth. “Idon’tliketalkingaboutitandithurtsmealot,”shesaid.“It’saverybadandtorturingexperiencethatIwouldnotwishanywomantogothrough.” Sheknowsothercolleagueswhohavehadevenlesstimewiththeirnewborns–somenoneatall.Threeyearsearlier,acasualworkeratthehospitalquitwhenshewasexpectedtoreturntoworkimmediatelyafterherdelivery. Inadditiontoheartacheformothers,inadequatematernityleaveandknowledgegapsonmaternal,infant,andyoungchildnutrition(MIYCN)contributetolowratesofexclusivebreastfeeding(EBF),miconutrientdeficiencies,andoverallpoorhealthoutcomesformothersandchildren. Goodmaternalnutrition,appropriateweightgainduringpregnancy,andinfantandyoungchildfeedingpracticesarecriticaltopreventallformsofmalnutritionduringthecriticalfirst1,000daysoflife,andtoachievethewidergoalofprotectinghealthandeconomicoutcomesforfamilies.Yet,despitetheevidencethatgoodnutritionduringthisperiodhasaprofoundimpactonachild’sabilitytogrow,learn,andthrive,nutritionformothersandchildrenremainsinadequateworldwide. Poormaternalandchildnutritionisestimatedtobeanunderlyingcauseof45%ofchildmortality,andcontributesto20%ofmaternalmortality. Moreover,datashowthatratesofEBFhaveremainedataround41%overthelasttwodecades,andmisperceptionssurroundingMIYCNcontinuetobeanissueacrosstheglobe. BabybreastfeedinginMalawi.(CourtesyofGuidoDingemans/Jhpiego) Since2014,USAID’sflagshipMaternalandChildSurvivalProgram(MCSP)hasprovidedcomprehensivesupporttomothersatthefacilityandcommunityleveltoimproveMIYCNin11countries.TheProgramidentifiesandaddressesbarrierstoMIYCNtoimproveearlyinitiationofbreastfeedingandEBFinthefirst6months,supporthigh-qualitycomplementaryfoodsfedat6–23months,andmaternalnutritionduringpregnancyandlactation,asheardfromourcountryadvisors. ChallengestoachievingmaternalnutritionandEBFvarybycountry,asdoProgramapproaches. VoicesFromtheFieldonObstaclestoMIYCNandEBF DRCongo:“Therearemajorissuesincountrieswithsupporttomotherstocontinuebreastfeeding.Equallyso,therearemajorissueswithmaternaldietinDRCongo,wheremothersarenotreceivingpropernutritionandresultingintheirperceivedinabilitytobreastfeed.” Haiti:“Womenseemconcernedwithbreastsaggingandphysicalappearancesafterbreastfeeding.Thisappearstobemostcommoninurbanareas.Inruralareas,womenthinkthattheirbreastmilkisinsufficient.Duringpregnancy,therearesomebeliefsabouteatingmoreoftenandtwiceasmuchasonewouldnormallyeat.Thereareotherbeliefsaboutfoodstoavoid,suchasavocadoes(thiswillaffectbreastmilkquality,givebabydiarrhea).” Kenya:“ManymothersinKenyadonotexclusivelybreastfeedbecauseofculturalbeliefs,andmothersareheavilyinfluencedbycultureandfamilymembers.Onemajorchallengetoexclusivebreastfeedingandcontinuationofbreastfeedingiswhenmothersreturntoworkafter14weeksofmaternityleavebecausetheworkforcedoesnotaccommodateforlactatingmothers.” Toaddresssuchbarriers,MCSPrecentlyreleasedtwonewtechnicalbriefs. AddressingBarrierstoMaternalNutrition:EvidenceandProgramConsiderationsandAddressingBarrierstoExclusiveBreastfeeding:EvidenceandProgramConsiderationsforLow-andMiddle-IncomeCountriesprovideareviewofevidenceonaddressedbarrierstomaternalnutritionandweightgainduringpregnancy,aswellaskeybarriersthatimpedeinitiationandcontinuationofEBFforthefull6monthsinlow-andmiddle-incomecountries(inlightofWorldHealthOrganizationantenatalcareguidelines).Thesebriefsalsoexplorehowcountriesareaddressingthesebarriersandgivekeyconsiderationsforprogramimplementation. Inaddition,MCSPrecentlypublishedanarticleinthejournalMaternal&ChildNutritionthatlooksatperceptionsaroundbreastfeeding,maternalnutrition,andweightgainduringpregnancyandconsiderationsforprograms. Oureffortsonthegroundarealsobearingfruit. Toaddresstheconcernsofmanyhealthworkers–likeMillicent’s–MCSPsupportedthreesub-countiesinKenyawithcontinuousmedicaleducation(CME)activities.ThethemefortheCMEs–“Breastfeedingatwork,let’smakeitwork!”–focusedonworkplacesupportforEBFthroughbenefitssuchasflexibleworkinghoursandthreemonthsofmaternityleave. AllstafffromKombewaHospitalattended,includingEvansOloo,thehospital’sHealthAdministrativeOfficeratKombewaHospital.Aftertheevent,OlooadvocatedforimplementingthreemonthsofmaternityleaveforallhospitalstafftoensuresuccessfulEBF.Thehospitalalsoidentifiedaroomwherelactatingmotherscanprivatelybreastfeedorexpressmilk,andmothersreturningtoworkaregiventheoptionforflexibleworkinghoursuntiltheirchildrenaresixmonthsold. ThematernityleavepolicyforallstaffisnowbeingimplementedatKombewaHospital.EverlynAwinoOlunda,asupportstaffmember,wasthefirstbeneficiaryofthisnewpolicy.Sheplanstotakeherfullmaternityleave,andisgratefulforthenewbreastfeedingroomandflexibleworkinghours. “Thisismythirdchild,butthefirstdeliverysinceemploymentin2009,”shesaid.“IhavereallyappreciatedthematernityleavethathasgivenmeampletimewithmybabyandfacilitatedEBF.IamnowpreparingtomaintainlactationwhenIreturnbacktowork.” Writtenby SarahStraubinger SeniorProgramCoordinatorforNutrition MCSP/PATH AllisonGottwalt ProgramAssistantforNutrition MCSP/PATH WithassistancefromMelaniePicolo,BrendaAhoya,ConstanceGathiandKanjiNyambo Mozambique,KenyaandMalawiNutritionAdvisors MCSP/PATH AboutMCSP TheMaternalandChildSurvivalProgram(MCSP)wasaglobal,USAIDCooperativeAgreementtointroduceandsupporthigh-impacthealthinterventionswithafocuson25high-prioritycountrieswiththeultimategoalofpreventingchildandmaternaldeaths. LearnMore AboutMCSP WhereWeWorked OurWork Resources NewsletterArchive ContactUs FollowUs MaternalChildSurvivalProgram About Leadership AnitaGibsonAnnePfitzerBarbaraRawlinsCharleneReynoldsElaineRomanFolakeOlayinkaGraceCheeJimRiccaKathleenHillKokiAgarwalMichelPacquéNeenaKhadkaPatTaylorRandyWillardBack PartnersPublic-PrivatePartnershipsBack OurWork ChildHealth ChildHealthCaseManagementChildHealthTaskForceBack CommunityHealthandCivilSocietyEngagement CivilSocietyCommunityHealthWorkersChildSurvivalandHealthGrantsProgramBack GenderHealthSystemsStrengthening&Equity EquityBack HIVandTBImmunization NewVaccineIntroductionRoutineImmunizationBack InnovationsMalaria MalariainPregnancyBack MaternalHealth Metrics&MeasurementforImprovedCareLocalSystemsandServiceDeliveryBack Measurement,Monitoring,Evaluation,andAction-OrientedLearning KnowledgeManagementLearningMonitoring&EvaluationBack NewbornHealth EssentialNewbornCareNewbornResuscitationKangarooMotherCareNewbornInfectionPreventionandManagementBack QualityScale-UpNutrition IntegratedAnemiaPreventionandControlInfantandYoungChildNutritionMaternalNutritionIntegratingNutritionintoChildHealthBack ReproductiveHealth PostpartumFamilyPlanningIntegrationofServicesAdolescentsBack SocialandBehaviorChangeCommunicationWater,SanitationandHygiene(WASH)Back WhereWeWorkedResourcesNewsletterArchive