What Exclusive Breastfeeding Does for Baby, Family, Nation

Faiza Auwalu of Unguwar Jummai ward of Bum-Bum community, Mai'Adua Local Government Area of Katsina State exclusively breast fed her second and third children for six months after birth.

The 22-year-old mother said she heard about exclusive breast feeding over the radio and decided to put it into practice, adding that the two children she exclusively breastfed are healthier than her first child whom she gave water along with breast milk.

"My daughter who I have been exclusively breastfeeding since the last four months has never been sick. I have not been going to buy medicines for her and she has been growing very fast," she said.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that infants be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life to achieve growth, development and health.

Exclusive breastfeeding means that the infant receives only breast milk. No other liquid is given, not even water with the exception of oral rehydration solution or drops/syrups of vitamins, minerals and medicines.

According to the Minister of Health, Prof Isaac Adewole, exclusive breastfeeding is the foundation for human building.

He said: "Optimal breastfeeding practices, which include timely initiation of breastfeeding within 30 minutes of delivery, exclusive breastfeeding of 0-6 months with only breast milk, no other milks, solid or semi-solid foods and not even giving baby water until the 6th completed month has proven great impact to health, education, economic returns to the child, family, community and nation at large.

"Even when the infant is exposed to HIV-infested, malnourished or any sick mother, the baby can be exclusively breastfed with enough quality and quantity breast milk through the support of the spouse, household, community and health system," he said.

Every year, Nigeria joins more than 170 countries of the world to celebrate the World Breastfeeding Week (August 1-8) to promote exclusive breastfeeding from birth to when the baby is six months old.

Exclusive breastfeeding has a lot of benefits not only for the infant, the mother, the family, or the community but also the nation. However, in spite of this, only 17 % of children are exclusively breastfed in Nigeria, according to the 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS). Nigeria has one of the worst exclusive breastfeeding rates in Africa.

Several studies have shown that breastfed infants do better on intelligence and behaviour tests into adulthood. A Lancet research revealed that exclusive breast feeding improves brain development which leads to better academic performance and productivity later in life.

Prof. Ngozi Nnam, President, Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN), said human breast milk is the best natural source of food for infants for the first six months of life because it contains all the essential nutrients needed to promote healthy growth and development.

According to her, the nutrients in human breast milk are adequate in quality and quantity for the survival of infants and contain a lot of anti-infective substances.

"Human breast milk contains hundreds to thousands of distinct bioactive molecules that protect against infection and inflammation, contribute to immune maturation, organ development and healthy microbial colonization with molecules such as colostrum, fat, and protein," said Dr. Abieyuwa Emokpae, a Consultant Paediatrician and Medical Doctor at Massey Street Children's Hospital, Lagos.

Explaining the link between pneumonia and breastfeeding, Dr. Francis Ohanyido urged women to exclusively breastfeed their children from birth to prevent the disease.

"Early initiation of breastfeeding has a higher tendency to enable the child survive pneumonia because there are certain protective factors and chemicals in the breast milk that strengthens the child response to the disease," he said.

Mrs Titilayo Ajayi, Deputy Director of Nursing Services, Children Specialist Hospital, Centre Ilorin, in an interview said a toddler's immune system functions better because breast milk contains an immunoglobulin (IGA) which coats the lining of the intestines, and helps prevent germs from penetrating through even the skin of babies.

On the benefits to women, Ajayi said it helps reduce the risk of uterine, ovarian and breast cancers. Breastfeeding women also have a lower incidence of osteoporosis later in life.

Experts said it is very important for nursing mothers to be mindful of what they eat because balanced diet is necessary for positive result on the baby. It is also important for women to wash their hands before breast feeding and maintain clean safety nutritional practices.

Is it necessary to give infants water along with breast feeding?

Nigeria has one of the poorest exclusive breastfeeding rates in Africa because many women give their infants water along with breast milk. But experts said all the water the child needs is contained in the breast milk, and there is no need to give the child water or any liquid in the first six months.

Dr. Ngozi Ibeziako, President of the Paediatric Association of Nigeria (PAN) said 80 percent of breast milk is water.

Professor (Mrs) Ngozi Nnam, the President of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN), said: "Human milk contains water, fat, proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, some hormones, enzymes, growth factors, essential fatty acids and immunological factors that play vital roles for adequate development and growth of the infant.

How mothers can be empowered to exclusively breast feed

There are some cultural practices that hinder exclusive breast feeding. In some communities in the country, colostrum is discarded. The colostrum is the first thick yellowish milk from the breast and acts as immediate natural immunization. The baby should be breastfed within 30 minutes of delivery to avail him or her of colostrum instead of discarding it and preventing optimal infant feeding.

Many women still wallow in ignorance on the importance of exclusive breast feeding and there is need for health workers, traditional and religious leaders to assist in enlightening them.

Women also find it difficult to exclusively breastfeed because of work. They should be supported to combine breastfeeding with work,whether in the formal, informal or home setting.

There is need for crèches and breast feeding breaks in work places.

The wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, Hajiya Aisha Buhari, has also expressed concern about Nigeria's poor exclusive breastfeeding indices during the recent launch of the 2016 Lancet Series on breastfeeding and high- level policy dialogue on promoting breastfeeding for national development in Nigeria.

She said there was an opportunity to improve breastfeeding practices in the country, but only if all levels of the society work together to breakdown the political and societal barriers that hinder Nigerian women's ability to breastfeed exclusively for six months.

Aisha Buhari, who was represented by the wife of the Niger State governor, Dr. Amina Bello, called on employers to create work places that are conducive to breastfeeding such as ensuring women had time and space to take breastfeeding breaks during the work day.

She also said there was need for mothers in-law and husbands to be familiar with the benefits of breastfeeding and support the mother's decision to breast feed her baby.

The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, said Nigeria can overcome the challenges that kept it from improving breastfeeding if we all worked together to ensure that every Nigerian woman felt empowered to breastfeed and every child received the nutrition he or she needed from the start.

Another way to empower women to exclusively breastfeed, according to the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Dr Chris Ngige, is for the federal government to domesticate 18 weeks maternity leave.

Ngige said Nigeria presently has a policy of 16 weeks maternity leave - that is 12 weeks after pregnancy (three months) and the four weeks annual leave - negating Article 183 of the International Labour Organization(ILO) which stipulates 18 weeks.

He added that the country has not domesticated this stipulation and decried the inadequate and non-provision of maternity leave in public and private organisations.