Mexico and Ecuador confront breastfeeding challenges for young mothers

In Mexico, young mothers face a lack of information, limited support and cultural stigma that hinder exclusive breastfeeding. Nadia Lavanderos, leader of the Liga de la Leche in Mexico, notes that only three out of ten women breastfeed optimally, despite 62 % expressing a desire to do so, and that adequate support can raise exclusive breastfeeding rates by up to 70 %. She also points to aggressive formula‑industry marketing that violates the International Code on Breast‑milk Substitutes.

In Ecuador, similar obstacles are reported. Misinformation and aggressive digital marketing of formula products contribute to early abandonment of breastfeeding, while insufficient workplace and public spaces limit mothers’ ability to nurse. The Pan‑American Health Organization (OPS) has urged governments to regulate digital formula advertising. Currently only about 43 % of infants receive exclusive breastfeeding. Experts such as Lady Morán and Karla Romero stress the health benefits for both mother and child and call for stronger public education to dispel myths.