Breastfeeding: An Unknown Factor to Reduce Heart Disease Risk Among Breastfeeding Women

Diet, Physical Activity, Obesity, and Breastfeeding: How French People Perceive Factors Associated with Cancer Risk

The French Cancer Barometer, a population-based-survey, is carried out every five years and is, to date, one of the few national studies conducted to investigate individual perception linked to cancer risk factors. The aims of the present study were to describe the perceptions of the French population in 2015 and to assess their evolution over a 5-year period (2010–2015). The French Cancer Barometer surveyed a randomly selected sample of participants aged 15–75 years (n = 3345 in 2010) and 15–85 years (n = 3764 in 2015), representative of the French population. Questions were on perception of diet, physical activity, obesity, and breastfeeding as cancer risk factors. In 2015, nutritional/activity factors were perceived as having an important role in cancer development for the majority of those surveyed (diet (90.8%), obesity (76%), and physical activity (70%)) with the exception being breastfeeding (34%). However, there was a moderate perception of the risks of red meat (43%) and salt or salty food (55%) consumption. Perceptions of nutritional risk factors were mostly associated with age and education level. Interestingly, there was a greater perception of nutritional risk factors in 2015 compared to 2010, and the participants’ opinions were also stronger. Efforts should be made on individuals with lower educational level and to promote the beneficial effects of breastfeeding. However, to impact food behavior, measures are needed at the environmental level and not only at the individual one.

Challenges and Supports of Breastfeeding at Workplace in Indonesia

Due to increased number of women workers in Indonesia in the last decade, numbers of women living as a worker and a housewife have increased. This also increases the potential risk of breastfeeding discontinuation. Three months of maternal leave policy and inadequate lactation promotion support in workplace have been identified as factors that hinder lactating practices. The World Health Organization recommendation of 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding and joined regulation of three Indonesia ministers (Ministry of Health, Ministry of Labour, and Ministry of Women Empower) have failed to improve the exclusive breastfeeding rate among female workers in Indonesia due to the lack of a standardized guideline on lactation promotion at workplace. In addition, very limited or no studies have been conducted to evaluate the impact of workplace-based lactation intervention programs on exclusive breastfeeding rate among female workers. This is because the relationship of lactation with working performance and productivity could not motivate employer to invest in workplace-based lactation promotion facility or program.

Breastfeeding and the Benefits of Lactation for Women's Health

The offer of the maternal breast to the baby is an unquestionable right of mothers and their children, and all efforts should be made to promote, follow and maintain exclusive breastfeeding for up to 6 months and supplement it until the child completes 2 years of age. Many publications are available in the literature about the qualities of breast milk, its benefits and health repercussions, stimulating the practice of breastfeeding and supporting campaigns for its implementation. However, although it is widely known that breastfeeding is an important step in the reproductive process of women and its practice offers benefits to both mother and child, most of the available information highlights the benefits of breast milk for children, while mention of the effects of breastfeeding on the health of the mother is usually neglected. Thus, the objective of the present study is to highlight the multiple benefits of breastfeeding for the physical and emotional health of the nursing mother. The authors consulted articles published in the databases PubMed, Virtual Health Library and Web of Science using the keywords breastfeeding, breast milk, lactation and maternal health.