A breast feeding policy for Malta

Abstract

There is no doubt that breast feeding benefits mother, child and society at large. This was primarily the reason for a working party to study the issue of breast feeding at a national level. In fact in 1996 a working group composed of health professionals from primary health care, health promotion, maternal care as well as breast feeding counsellors, started designing a policy statement on the issue of breast feeding in Malta. This was done in an effort to encourage more mothers to experience one of nature's gifts which unfortunately has been threatened during the last half of the twentieth century. This document is the result of an in-depth study into the reasons many mothers find breast feeding a challenge. It also outlines the health services required to empower mothers with knowledge and support whilst it serves as a tool for all health care professionals to enable them to protect and promote breast feeding through the course of their daily work.