International Week of Breastfeeding Marked in Belgrade

03 August 2006

The Roditelj (Parent) Association and MAMA magazine will mark, on Sunday, August 6, the International Breastfeeding Week, with an action in Kalemegdan Park, in the garden of the �Cvijeta Zuzoric Pavilion�.

The organizers will attempt, for the first time in Serbia, to gather in one place a record number of mothers that want and can breastfeed their babies out of home and organize �the best joint lunch for the babies � the mothers� milk�.

This year�s action is named Breastfeed Proudly, and will cover information on advantages and benefits of breastfeeding, but will also deal with the topic of breastfeeding in public, which is an activity on which prejudices abound in these parts.

The info-point (17:00 to 20:00 hours) will offer free advise on breastfeeding. The organizers also expect for the experts from �Dr. Milan Jovanovic Batut� Healthcare Institute to take part and support the action.

The organizers invite all current and future parents, and especially mother who want to participate in setting a record for the first group breastfeed in Serbia, to join them on Sunday, August 6, between 17:00 and 20:00 hours, in Kalemegdan.

The 2000 statistics show that only 11 percent of all mothers in Serbia used their own milk to feed the babies. In spite of experts� view that mother�s milk remains the best baby food, the percentage of breastfeeding mothers is dismal.

One of the reasons is the lack of adequate information on breastfeeding, support from the environment, as well as the numerous prejudices and misconceptions which need to be eradicated.