Providing premature and medically fragile infants with human milk offers the most protection against necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). That’s why the NEC Society joins the global community in recognizing and celebrating World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) each year. WBW takes place on August 1 – 7 and is a global campaign that aims to inform, anchor, engage, and galvanize action on breastfeeding. WBW 2022 focuses on strengthening the capacity to protect, promote and support breastfeeding across different levels of society.

Check out the messages highlighted throughout World Breastfeeding Week and stay tuned as we recognize and celebrate Black Breastfeeding Week August 25 – 31! 

Mother’s milk is one of the best ways to #preventNEC It is essential for our culture and society to recognize the lifesaving power of breastmilk for medically fragile infants.

When mother’s milk is not available, pasteurized donor milk is the next best option.
All NICU babies need equitable access to donor milk.

In the NICU, mother’s own milk (MOM) is more than just nutrition.
MOM can be considered a life-saving intervention. 

Tragically, sometimes NICU babies die, even after they’ve received their mother’s milk. Bereaved mothers can find peace in donating their baby’s breastmilk to a non-profit milk bank. Learn more about donor milk: HMBANA.org

In the NICU, racial disparities in breastfeeding have little to do with the intention
to breastfeed and a lot to do with systemic racism.

It’s important to use World Breastfeeding Week to emphasize
the importance of partners! In the NICU, partners are essential
to supporting nursing mothers and helping to care for their newborns.

Sometimes, preemies and babies born with medical conditions are unable to nurse,
and their mothers may exclusively pump for weeks, months, or even years.
To help build their future milk supply, NICU mothers should be supported
to express milk as soon as possible after birth.