82% of newborns in Transcarpathia are born during the delivery with the partner

The International Breastfeeding Week is celebrated every year on the initiative of the World Health Organization (WHO). It is held in the 40th week of the year, which symbolizes 40 weeks of pregnancy before delivery. This year’s week motto  is "Support breastfeeding together".

The purpose of the event: to attract the public attention to and to emphasize the importance of supporting breastfeeding at all levels: family, community, health care system, employers, society and the state. To create a friendly, supportive atmosphere for women who are breastfeeding and their families.

According to neonatologist, national expert on the "Child Friendly Hospital" program Ulyana Voloshina, in Ukraine, including Transcarpathia, there are medical institutions that work within the framework of the "Child Friendly Hospital" project. They actively support young parents and promote breastfeeding by providing the necessary advice and assistance. The project provides for the implementation of international recommendations on child care and the creation of conditions for effective feeding. The institutions involved in the project, in addition to the nursing staff, have a volunteer group and their own breastfeeding counselors.  The presence of such hospitals has doubled the breastfeeding rate. Today, in Transcarpathia, 62 percent of babies under the age of 3 months, and 38 percent of those above the age of 6 months are breastfed. Every tenth child above the age of one year is at breastfeeding, the Regional Health Center of Transcarpathia informs.

"A woman should be prepared for breastfeeding even before childbirth. The same applies to the family", – Ulyana Voloshina says. Therefore, schools of responsible parenting are very important not only for mothers, but also for future fathers. While such schools in Transcarpathia are attended by 85 percent of women, unfortunately, only 12% of men find time for the classes. At the same time, it should be noted that 82 percent of newborns in our region are born during the delivery with the partner.