World Breastfeeding Week (August 1-7) is a global campaign to raise awareness and galvanize action on themes related to breastfeeding. Each year nearly 600,000 children under 5 years of age die due to inadequate breastfeeding globally. Nearly 100,000 mothers also die from inadequate breastfeeding. 

This year the theme of World Breastfeeding Week is "Closing the Gap: Breastfeeding Support for All." The campaign celebrates breastfeeding caregivers in all their diversity, throughout their breastfeeding journeys, while showcasing the ways families, societies, communities and health workers can help every breastfeeding caregiver.  

This year’s theme rings especially true for our teams and the caregivers of Operation Smile patients, who often face unique breastfeeding challenges because of their cleft conditions. Breastfeeding is very difficult for infants with cleft conditions. Success is often limited and varies greatly based on the infant’s condition and support provided to the mother and family. 

No one knows this better than Tereza Sigaud, an Operation Smile pediatrician, regional medical officer and nutrition volunteer from Brazil. Tereza has volunteered with Operation Smile since 2012. As a pediatrician, Tereza recognizes the critical role of effective breastfeeding support for her young patients, particularly those with cleft conditions. She is acutely aware that these children face unique challenges when it comes to feeding, and she is dedicated to providing tailored guidance and support to ensure that both the infants and their families navigate these challenges successfully. 

Tereza is deeply passionate about expanding breastfeeding education and ensuring that other healthcare professionals are well-equipped to support caregivers of infants with cleft conditions. Over the past year, she has devoted her efforts to leading specialized training-of-trainer sessions on breastfeeding to more than 30 Operation Smile nutrition volunteers during Comprehensive Care conferences. These trainees have gone on to lead nutrition education in their own regions, enhancing the care available to families, ensuring more comprehensive support for those navigating the challenges of feeding infants with cleft conditions. Tereza’s dedication as an educator helps Operation Smile bring care closer to our patient’s home.

Through nutrition workshops, Tereza has provided invaluable insights and practical knowledge, empowering her colleagues to support caregivers with breastfeeding, breastmilk expression and managing feeding challenges. By sharing her expertise, she equips healthcare professionals with the tools and confidence needed to guide families through the complexities of infant nutrition. Her dedication to breastfeeding education helps ensure that families receive the best possible support, fostering better outcomes for both mothers and their babies.