DEVELOPMENT REPORT - Experts Say Babies Should Be Fed Only B

DEVELOPMENT REPORT - Experts Say Babies Should Be Fed Only Breast Milk for the First Six Months
By Jill Moss¹

Broadcast: Monday, August 16, 2004

This is Gwen Outen with the VOA Special English Development Report.

Health experts commonly advise mothers to feed babies only breast milk for the first six months. They say no other food is more valuable to the development of a child. The World Health Organization says children can be breastfed as part of their diet for up to two years or longer. Yet it says only one out of three babies is fed only breast milk for even just four months.

 
Graphic² Image
Breast milk helps protect children from infections and disease. It can prevent common sicknesses, such as diarrhea and pneumonia³. And it can help babies recover more quickly if they do get sick.

Studies also show that mothers who breastfeed reduce their risk of cancer in the reproductive organs. Breastfeeding also saves money, compared to milk substitutes.

The first week in August is World Breastfeeding Week. The campaign this year involved the idea of exclusive⁴ breastfeeding. The World Alliance⁵ for Breastfeeding Action say babies can be fed drops or syrups⁶ with extra vitamins and minerals. But exclusive means no other foods or drinks for six months.

The World Health Organization and UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund, offer some steps for mothers. First, they say breastfeeding should start within the first hour after a baby's birth. Second, the baby should not receive any other food or drink, including water. Third, babies should be breastfed whenever they are hungry – day or night. And, lastly, the agencies say there should be no use of bottles, pacifiers or other equipment.

International health experts say traditional ways to measure child growth do not recognize things like the importance of breastfeeding. So the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is giving more than six million dollars to the W.H.O. for a six-year project. The money will be used to develop new tools to measure the health and well-being⁷ of young people.

Current growth standards describe how children grow at different times. The new standards will also be linked to motor development. Experts say the message here is that physical growth is not the only part of normal development.

Doctor Mercedes de Onis heads the W.H.O. project. She says the current growth standards used by ninety-nine countries do not support international health goals. She notes that one of these goals is to increase breastfeeding.

This VOA Special English Development Report was written by Jill Moss. This is Gwen Outen.

1 moss   

n.苔，藓，地衣

参考例句：

• Moss grows on a rock.苔藓生在石头上。
• He was found asleep on a pillow of leaves and moss.有人看见他枕着树叶和苔藓睡着了。

2 graphic   

adj.生动的，形象的，绘画的，文字的，图表的

参考例句：

• The book gave a graphic description of the war.这本书生动地描述了战争的情况。
• Distinguish important text items in lists with graphic icons.用图标来区分重要的文本项。

3 pneumonia   

n.肺炎

参考例句：

• Cage was struck with pneumonia in her youth.凯奇年轻时得过肺炎。
• Pneumonia carried him off last week.肺炎上星期夺去了他的生命。

4 exclusive   

adj.不包括的，不算在内的，独有的，独享的

参考例句：

• The hotel charges 6 pounds a day,exclusive of meals.这家旅馆一天收六英镑，不包括饭钱。
• This bathroom is for the President's exclusive use.这间浴室是总统专用的。

5 alliance   

n.同盟，同盟国，结盟，联姻

参考例句：

• China will not enter into alliance with any big power.中国不同任何大国结盟。
• The new alliance was very much in evidence.新的联盟上星期很引人注目。

6 syrups   

n.糖浆，糖汁( syrup的名词复数 )；糖浆类药品

参考例句：

• A variety of cocktails were created all using Monin syrups and purees. 我们用莫林糖浆和果泥创作了许多鸡尾酒。 来自互联网
• Other applications include fruit juices, flavors, and sugar syrups. 其它的应用包括水果汁、香精和糖浆。 来自互联网

7 well-being   

n.安康，安乐，幸福

参考例句：

• He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。
• My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福，却被误解为多管闲事。