By Rotimi Olaleye
As Nigeria joins the global community to commemorate World Breastfeeding Week, Muhammad Okorie, Social Policy Manager at UNICEF’s Lagos Field Office, has highlighted the pressing need for continued awareness, government support and community engagement to promote exclusive breastfeeding.
Okorie emphasized that breastfeeding is essential for healthy child development and contributes significantly to national growth.
Okorie in a telephone conversation with Vanguard in Ado-Ekiti on Monday, noted that the sustainability of breastfeeding relies largely on access to accurate information and the collective will of society to support the breastfeeding mothers.
According to Okorie, newborns should be breastfed within the first hour of birth and exclusively for the first six monthswithout the addition of water or any other food.
He added that appropriate complementary foods can be introduced beyond six months, while continuing breastfeeding up to 24 months or beyond.
Okorie advocated supportive policies such as paid maternity leave, workplace breastfeeding rooms, and scheduled breastfeeding breaks for working mothers, stressing that these intervention can significantly enhance breastfeeding practices in both the formal and informal sectors.
He stressed that breastfeeding is not just beneficial to babies and mothers, but also to the nation, saying inadequate breastfeeding results to stunting, a condition that can permanently affect brain development and reduce future workforce productivity.
Addressing rising concerns among younger mothers who perceive breastfeeding as outdated and often opt for artificial formula, Okorie warned against falling for misleading advertising.
His words, “The sustainability of breastfeeding has to do with knowledge. We have to ensure that we give the appropriate knowledge to everyone. First of all, breastfeeding is a source of nutrition for the baby. It’s so comprehensive that it contains every nutrient the baby needs, as well as antibodies and vaccines that protect the child from illnesses.
“Now, going forward, policies and programs of government, which we are all advocating for, will also make it easier for people to breastfeed effectively. The key message is that a child should be introduced to breast milk within the first one hour of birth.
“That child should be breastfed exclusively without any addition of water or other substances for the first six months. From six months onward, the child should continue to be breastfed up to 24 months, alongside the introduction of appropriate complementary foods and other infant feeding options.”While there might be challenges in the current workspace and business environments, the right policies such as paid maternity leave can enable both current and future mothers to breastfeed effectively.
“Other supportive policies are being advocated, both for the formal and informal sectorsbincluding marketplaces such as the provision of breastfeeding rooms and break periods for mothers to breastfeed. These initiatives create a more conducive environment for mothers. When traditional and religious institutions, as well as the broader society, support this cause, it becomes a source of pride and fulfillment.
“Adequate support for breastfeeding mothers is essential not just from the husband, but also from members of the immediate household and the society at large, providing both psychosocial support and enabling environments for effective breastfeeding.
“We are emphasizing this because breastfeeding is not only critical for the baby, it is cost-effective and environmentally friendly. It also lays the foundation for a prosperous future. A child that is fully breastfed gains an advantage in cognitive development. One of the major causes of stunting is ineffective or inadequate breastfeeding and stunting negatively impacts brain development, which in turn affects the future workforce.
“Scientific evidence has shown that no alternative comes close to the capacity of breast milk in terms of the nutrients and protection it provides to the child.
“For Gen Z mothers, it is essential to make information accessible in the language and platforms they understand through social media, conventional media, healthcare facilities, peer groups and family networks. We need to emphasize the strength and advantages of breast milk, which no formula can substitute.
“Also, there is a need to regulate adverts and promotions from private companies that market alternatives to breast milk. Industrial practices must be controlled so they don’t mislead gullible individuals, especially Gen Zs, into believing there are equivalent replacements particularly within the first six months.
“Breastfeeding is not just a biological function it is a child’s first vaccine, the child’s first food and the first bond of love. It is cost-effective, climate-resilient and a life-saving intervention”.
