One child dies every three minutes from tetanus, so why are people complaining about Salma Hayek breastfeeding a sick one-week-old baby?
A recent ABC news report followed the Mexican actress and producer to Africa on a UNICEF mission to raise awareness for tetanus in partnership with Pampers. While visiting a clinic, Salma was so moved by a sick baby born on the same date as her daughter Valentina, she carried the hungry child and nursed him.
Salma later explains that she was told by doctors in Sierra Leone that many mothers stop breastfeeding their newborns because of pressure from their husbands. According to tradition in some areas, it’s unacceptable to have sexual relations with a breastfeeding woman. However, Sierra Leone has the highest infant mortality rate in the world mainly due to malnutrition. Salma states that her decision to breastfeed another woman’s baby was an attempt to show the country that there’s nothing controversial about feeding a hungry child.
"Am I being disloyal to my child by giving her milk away?" Hayek asks. "I actually think my baby would be very proud to share her milk. And when she grows up I'm going to make sure she continues to be a generous, caring person."
In addition to Salma’s generosity, it’s noted that in many Latin-American countries, women often breastfeed the children of others unable to naturally produce milk.
Despite what others may say, we’re proud of our Salma and her breasts.
Here’s a snippet of what everyone’s been talking about:
