Breastfeeding Gives Children a Good Start in Life

Breastfeeding Gives Children a Good Start in Life
A woman holds her baby at an event promoting the freedom of mothers to breastfeed in public, during World Breastfeeding Week at the Village Museum in Bucharest, Romania. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)
The Reader's Turn
7/31/2017
Updated:
7/9/2020

I recently witnessed a baby being completely calmed down by the simple act of breastfeeding. I was on a plane soaring towards our cruising altitude of 28,000 feet and of course this was wreaking havoc on the child’s eardrums. While the sucking released pressure on her ears, it also provided deep comfort. It gave me pause to consider just how lucky that child was to receive comfort, minerals, vitamins, and even immunity from one simple natural source.

Aug. 1-7 is World Breastfeeding Week, and as Canada’s minister of foreign affairs noted, empowering women and girls “is a matter of basic justice and also basic economics.” In September, those children who are lucky enough to receive an education will return to the classroom. Equality begins before birth and directly thereafter with the benefits of breastfeeding. Good nutrition ensures an ability to learn and Canada’s international assistance contributes to a world where every child has the opportunity to thrive.

Let’s do our part to ensure that every child at home and overseas enjoys the advantage of a good start in life.

Connie Lebeau Victoria, B.C.