The Chinese Nutrition Society (CNS) and Nestlé co-organized a forum to promote breastfeeding on August 1 in conjunction with this year's World Breastfeeding Week (1-7 August).

President of the CNS Yang Yuexin and several breastfeeding experts attended the event and shared the latest study results with Chinese families.

The first 1,000 days of life, from the beginning of pregnancy to a child's second year of age, have been internationally recognized as a key period for laying the foundation of a healthy life whilstbreastfeeding remains one of the major measures that guarantees nutrition and health.

"Breastfeeding is conducive to infant health and produces a far-reaching influence into adulthood as well," said Professor Wang Zhixu, deputy-director of the maternal and child nutrition branch of the CNS.

"Research has shown that breast milk contains probiotics and prebiotics that can help infants build up immunity and reduce risks of allergy," Wang added. "In addition, such milk can pass on the taste of food so that infants can better adjust to tastes and accept complementary food."

"The components of a mothers' milk undergo dynamic changes to meet nutritional demands at different stages," said Yang Xiaoguang, a researcher with the Nutrition and Health Institute under the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Breastfeeding is of great significance to maternal and child health. However, a survey showed that the breastfeeding rate was only 42.8 percent in eight Chinese cities.

In an effort to promote breastfeeding, the CNScompiled the Chinese 0-6 month old infants feeding guidance under the efforts of all well-known Chinese experts in maternal and child nutrition. The guidance was released at the forum by Professor Su Yixiang, director of the maternal and child nutrition branch of the CNS. “All mothers should insist pure breastfeeding for their babies until 6 months, infant formulas can only bechosenwhen breastfeeding is unable,” Professor Su emphasized.

Whilst providing knowledge on breastfeeding, CNS and Nestlé have also called on society to build a breastfeeding environment by establishing more breastfeeding rooms in workplaces and public areas. Meanwhile, it has appealed to families to give more understanding to nursing mothers.

At the forum, chairmen of 28 provincial nutrition societies signed a document to support breastfeeding and called on society to take action in improving breastfeeding rates.