The Assistant Chief Nursing Officer with General Hospital, Ijede, Nurse Mary Okoh has called on caregivers, mothers-in-law, spouses, stakeholders and the community at large to continually cultivate the habit of supporting nursing mothers in breast-feeding their infants.
Speaking at a sensitisation campaign organised by the hospital as part of activities to commemorate Y2022 World Breast-Feeding Week with the rest of the world, Nurse Okoh said breastfeeding is a shared responsibility that should not be taken with laxity by anyone, noting that the support will enhance the health and wellbeing of both mother and infant.
She described exclusive breastfeeding as the process by which the mother feeds her infant breast milk for the first six months of development without additional food or drink, adding, however, that babies should receive complementary foods with continued breastfeeding up to two years or beyond as recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The Assistant Chief Nursing Officer explained further that breast milk contains substances that help protect infants against infection and inflammation, contribute to the healthy development of the immune system and aids the microbiome in them.
Her words: “There are also anti-infective and growth factors which are contained in the breast milk which cannot be gotten from substitutes or any other source of powdered milk”.
Okoh revealed that when a baby is exclusively breastfed, the bond attached during breastfeeding between the mother and baby helps the child to grow up as a responsible offspring.
She informed participants that breastfeeding is the gold standard and the primary source of nutrition for newborns which includes fat, protein, carbohydrates (lactose and human milk oligosaccharides) and other various vitamins, minerals, hormones and digestive enzymes.
Benefits of breastfeeding, according to her, include the promotion of psychological and emotional bond between mother and infant, protection against allergies, sickness and obesity, easily digestible, helps babies score higher on the Intelligent Quotient (IQ) test, reduces the risk of sudden infant death syndrome as well as the risk of breast cancer and returns the uterus to its pre-pregnant size among others.
Other planned activities for the commemoration include Health Talk, Quiz Segment and Practical Demonstration on Proper Breastfeeding for Nursing Mothers as well as Walk for Fitness to the community to sensitise residents on the importance of breastfeeding.
Every first week of August has been recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as World Breastfeeding Week and this year’s theme is: “Everyone Has a Part to Play in Helping Mums to Breastfeed”.
