Superfood for Babies, our new report estimates that 95 babies could be saved every hour if mother's breastfed in the 'power hour' after birth. By breastfeeding babies colostrum – the mother’s first milk – within an hour of birth, a child’s immunity will be boosted making them three times more likely to survive. 

Despite these startling statistics, global breastfeeding rates are stalling and actually declining across East Asia and in some of Africa’s most populous countries like Ethiopia and Nigeria. 

There are four key factors to blame: 
 

• A lack of empowerment and education for women means that some harmful traditional practices, which undermine mums breastfeeding their babies, are still rife.  Instead of live-saving colostrum, in some places, newborn babies are fed coffee, shea butter or ash in their first hour of life.

• The shortage of midwives and of health workers in the developing world, means that information on the benefits of breastfeeding is inadequate, and there is not enough support to help mums once they give birth.

• Lack of adequate maternity legislation makes breastfeeding and returning to work challenging.

• Marketing practices by some breast milk substitute companies can result in mothers believing that formula is the best way to feed their baby even if they are unable to afford it. Read the responses by BMS companies. 

We believe child mortality can be reduced if more mothers across the globe were encouraged to breastfeed.