Page 112 - Words

Society Lam Ka Wing, Karen 4D (2016-2017)

Dear Director,

On behalf of the Hong Kong Breastfeeding Mothers’ Association, I
am writing to recommend some ways for promoting breastfeeding in Hong
Kong through education and policies.

Firstly, let me state the difficulties in encouraging breastfeeding in
Hong Kong. Many mothers feel embarrassed so they avoid breastfeeding in
public places. In fact, in Hong Kong, there is insufficient supply of nursing
rooms around the territory. Thus, it is difficult for mothers to breastfeed.

The biggest difficulty is that the Hong Kong government has not
done much to encourage breastfeeding. In addition, it keeps on allowing
some advertisements for formula milk to be shown on TV, which leads to a
serious problem. Mothers may think that formula milk is healthier for their
children, as the advertisement keeps on telling viewers that their formula
contains a lot of added vitamins and minerals.

Here are some recommendations for your department to consider.
The public should be educated that they should not discriminate against
breastfeeding mothers. They should try to accept them. Also some talks can
be held about the benefits of breastfeeding for mothers of newborn babies,
like elevating babies’ immune system. This will increase their confidence in
breastfeeding their babies.

In addition, some policies should be in place, like increasing
nursing rooms as well as reducing the broadcasting time for formula milk
advertisements. Laws should also be tightened against discrimination.

112 With Pride, We Stride