A survey carried out by Nigeria Natural Health Online www.kimekwu.blogspot.com has shown
that most mothers who live in the ghetto parts of Nigerian cities do not understand
the importance of exclusive breast feeding despite all the media campaigns
being carried out to create awareness to that effect.
Using Lagos as a case study, the survey was carried out
amongst mothers residents in suburbs and rural parts of the city including
Makoko, Iwaya, Mushin, Ijora, Badagary, Ikorodu and some parts of Alimosho.
Of the 8,000
respondents who were captured in the survey, 87 percent did not see anything
wrong in complementing breast feeding with infant formulas and other foods like
pap, tea and mashed yam within the first six months of a child’s life. As high
as 92percent believed it is ok to give water to a child within these first six months.
Only a paltry 7percent agreed that it is strictly wrong to give water to a
child within the first six months.
The survey also revealed that these mothers do not really
understand the effect of exclusive breast feeding both for the immediate and the
future of the child’s life, especially in the area of mental development. Some
of them argued that their children are healthy (even though some of this
children did not really look it) despite being given complimentary foods aside
from breast milk. The situation becomes even more precarious when considered in
the light of the fact that these mothers live in unhygienic environments where
there are no access to portable clean water.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has directed that
mothers should exclusively breast feed their baby for the first six months of
the child’s life after which they could augment with other, semi solid foods.
Breastfeeding is an unequalled way of providing ideal food
for the healthy growth and development of infants; it is also an integral part of
the reproductive process with important implications for the health of mothers.
Review of evidence has shown that, on a population basis, exclusive
breastfeeding for 6 months is the optimal way of feeding infants. Thereafter
infants should receive complementary foods with continued breastfeeding up to 2
years of age or beyond.
Breast milk is the natural first food for babies, it provides all the energy
and nutrients that the infant needs for the first months of life, and it
continues to provide up to half or more of a child’s nutritional needs during
the second half of the first year, and up to one-third during the second year
of life.Breast milk promotes sensory and cognitive development, and protects the infant against infectious and chronic diseases. Exclusive breastfeeding reduces infant mortality due to common childhood illnesses such as diarrhea or pneumonia, and helps for a quicker recovery during illness. These effects can be measured in resource-poor and affluent societies.
Commenting on the out come of the reaserch of the Nigeria
Natural Health Online, a health provider based in Lagos told our
reporter that the authorities should step up the awareness campaign not just in
the media. according to him, “I think there should be an experiential approach
towards creating awareness on the importance of EBF. There should be an
interface with these mothers whereby health workers indoctrinate in them the
benefits of EBF.”
Mrs Anyanwu, a traditional birth attendant, (TBA) also toed the same line when she said: “most mothers who
live in the suburb of the city do not really listen to this media campaign. I think
health officials, apart from placing adverts in the media, should also go into
these communities and have a one on one encounter with them. I think that would
create more impact.” Story By JOHNSON OKPUSA OBASI
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