Mexico Wraps Up Breastfeeding Week with Renewed Policy Focus

As World Breastfeeding Week ends, Mexico’s Ministry of Health reinforced its commitment to increase exclusive breastfeeding rates to 50% by 2025, aligning with targets set by the World Health Assembly. The campaign, themed “Enabling Breastfeeding: Making a Difference for Working Parents,” focused on the provision of sustainable support systems for breastfeeding women, including workplace accommodations such as lactation rooms.

Authorities are engaging in educational efforts at health institutions to promote early mother-infant contact and breastfeeding within the first hour of life. “We promote best practices supported by our Lactation Clinic and human milk bank,” says Silvia Romero, Deputy Director of Neonatology, National Institute of Perinatology (INPer). The campaign also highlighted the importance of breastfeeding-friendly workplaces to help women maintain breastfeeding after returning to work, reports MBN. 

Mexico aims for 70% of infants to be exclusively breastfed by 2030, reports MBN, but only 43% are exclusively breastfed, with many receiving formula instead. The Health Ministry estimates that improving breastfeeding rates could prevent thousands of deaths and save up to MX$200 billion (US$10.3 billion) annually.

Health experts stress that breastfeeding offers numerous benefits beyond infant nutrition, noting advantages for maternal health, reduced absenteeism, and increased employee retention. Despite this, over 500 million working women globally lack adequate maternity protections, notes INSP. In Mexico, enforcement of breastfeeding breaks and workplace infrastructure remains uneven, affecting both formal and informal workers. Researchers from INPer and UNICEF Mexico advocate for clearer legal provisions to ensure access to lactation rooms and reduce bureaucratic barriers, reports MBN. 

Environmental concerns also underscore Mexico’s breastfeeding initiatives. A 2019 Australian study cited at a State of Mexico workshop found that producing 1kg of infant formula generates nearly twice the carbon footprint of breast milk, primarily due to the dairy industry's environmental impact. UNICEF Mexico reports that formula production can emit more than 4,000 times the greenhouse gases of breastfeeding. The state has established nine milk banks and plans to expand lactation rooms in workplaces and community spaces.

Mexico, together with Brazil, presented a resolution to the World Health Organization’s Executive Board to regulate digital advertising of breast milk substitutes. The resolution, supported by 21 countries, will be reviewed at the World Health Assembly later this year and could set a global precedent.

The Ministry of Health also recently enacted NOM-020-SSA-2025, integrating midwifery into the national health system and expanding access to maternal and neonatal care. The policy authorizes professional and traditional midwives to provide care without requiring certification and supports midwifery-led birthing centers.

Global data reveal that only 44% of infants under six months are exclusively breastfed, despite evidence that optimal breastfeeding could prevent over 820,000 child deaths annually and improve long-term health and economic outcomes. The World Health Organization encourages countries to implement maternity leave policies, regulate breast milk substitute marketing, and follow the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative’s “Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding,” including skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding counseling.