According to the vast majority of Hungarians, mother's milk is the best way to feed a baby, and breastfeeding is especially popular and widespread in Hungary, according to the latest research of the Mária Kopp Institute for Population and Families (KINCS), which was prepared on the occasion of World Breastfeeding Day.

In the statement sent to MTI on Monday, it was written: most Hungarians have a very positive opinion about the importance of breast milk, 97 percent of those surveyed believe that "every drop of breast milk is a treasure".

According to the survey, nine out of ten Hungarians think that breast milk is the best way to feed a baby. When it came to choosing between breast milk and formula, only one percent said formula was better, 81 percent said breast milk, and 17 percent said both were suitable.

According to more than a third of the respondents (36 percent), it is ideal if the baby receives breast milk until at least one year old, but almost a third (31 percent) think that the baby can be fed breast milk for longer than one year, as long as needed.

88 percent of those surveyed agreed that breastfed babies are healthier and more balanced, and 84 percent believe that breastfeeding lays the foundation for a close mother-child relationship for life. According to eight out of ten Hungarians, breastfeeding develops "primordial trust" between the child and the mother.

Breastfeeding is especially popular and widespread in Hungary, which is clearly shown by the fact that 94 percent of children receive breast milk during the first six months of their lives, but at least in the days after birth, the announcement reads.

According to KINCS, midwife care, which is considered Hungarian, plays a major role in the spread of breastfeeding. Nine out of ten Hungarians are familiar with the Midwifery Service, 84 percent say that the midwives provide parents with useful advice on feeding and caring for their babies. Eight out of ten respondents believe that midwives help families a lot during pregnancy, in preparation for childbirth and also after childbirth.

The survey revealed that, according to Hungarians, hospital staff and fathers also play a decisive role in the period around childbirth. According to most Hungarians (85 percent), the hospital is the most appropriate place to give birth to a child, and three quarters of people (72 percent) think it is good if the father is present at the birth.

World Breastfeeding Day has been celebrated on August 1 since 1992 to raise awareness of the importance of breast milk. According to the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO), breast milk is the most suitable food for a baby from the first hour of birth until six months of age, but globally only 41 percent of babies under the age of six receive exclusively breast milk. One in five babies in high-income countries has never been breastfed. According to a 2018 survey, the proportion of babies who have ever been breastfed is over 90 percent in the Nordic countries, 86 percent in Italy, 82 percent in Germany, 77 percent in Spain, 63 percent in France, 74 percent in the United States, and only 55 percent in Ireland.

MTI

MTI Photo: Katalin Sándor