Lengthen maternity leave for more breastfeeding: Swiss report
Swiss mothers should be given longer maternity leave to ensure their children are breastfed for the recommended length of time, according to the Federal Commission for Family Affairs (COFF).
The World Health Organisation recommends feeding infants exclusively through breastfeeding until six months, then breastfeeding in addition to solid foods until the age of two.
In Switzerland, three out of four children stop being breastfed around five or six months, or stop being exclusively fed this way. This drop roughly coincides with the end of 14-week paid maternity leave, notes COFF in a press release on Thursday.
“In many sectors, returning to work and continuing to breastfeed constitutes a major challenge for mothers,” the commission further points out.
In practice, the legal right of breastfeeding women to have access to a quiet, clean room that can be locked and out of sight, in their workplace is difficult to comply with.
Many working mothers must still express their milk in the toilet, says the COFF report.
The commission proposes an extension of maternity leave by several months. The probability of exclusive breastfeeding until the sixth month is 50% higher when maternity leave lasts six months.
Mothers who breastfeed longer have lower rates of breast, uterine and ovarian cancer and are less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease later in life, said COFF. Longer breastfeeding duration is also associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and diabetes.
The savings potential in the health sector is significant. According to studies, the United States could save $13 billion each year if 90% of women breastfed for up to six months. Other industrialised countries have similar savings potential.
Translated from French by DeepL/mga
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