The breast milk is the most nutritious food a mother can give her
newly born baby. It is also the best food for a growing infant.
Experts say that for the baby to get all the benefits inherent in it,
the mother must practise exclusive breastfeeding.
Consultant Paediatrician, Dr. Yeni Olarenwaju, defines exclusive
breastfeeding as the act of giving a baby only breast milk in the
first six months of life without adding any supplements , food or
liquids - not even water.
Even the World Health Organisation recommends that babies should be
exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life, after which
the mother can introduce appropriate complementary foods for the next
two years.
The WHO notes that exclusive breastfeeding is the single most
effective intervention for preventing child deaths. Yet, less than 40
per cent of infants under six months receive the benefits.
According to the global body, approximately 1.3 million deaths can be
prevented each year if at least 90 per cent of mothers practise
exclusive breast feeding.
Consultant Paediatrician, Dr. Bunmi Adeniyi, says that six months
exclusive breastfeeding is key to the survival of a child, as it helps
in boosting the baby's immunity level to fight diseases and
infections.
According to Adeniyi, the breast milk, especially the first thick
yellow milk called colostrum, contains anti-bacterial and anti-viral
agents and high levels of vitamin A that protect infants against
diseases. He notes that promoting exclusive breast feeding reduces the
incidence of killer diseases such as pneumonia, diarrhoea, jaundice
and other respiratory infections.
"Breast milk is a natural source of food for the baby and it is
important for the baby's growth. It also contains antibodies that
protect infants from bacteria, viruses and other childhood illnesses
such as diarrhoea and respiratory infections - diseases killing
children in Nigeria.
"It is a strategy that the nation must encourage mothers to adopt to
reduce the alarming infant mortality rates in Nigeria."
Adeniyi adds that the breast milk is the safest food for a newborn as
it has the right amount of energy, protein, fat, vitamins and other
nutrients which the baby needs to grow optimally in the first six
months.
He states," The body system of a baby in the first six months is most
susceptible to infection. Every other food you give them is foreign
apart from breast milk. The danger of introducing other foods is that
they may be contaminated, and you cannot verify the source. The only
safe and reliable source of food for infants is the breast milk. It
cannot be duplicated or counterfeited."
Many mothers worry about not giving their babies water while
breastfeeding. However, experts warn that this practice may compromise
the gains of breast feeding.
They note that they need not worry as 88 per cent of breast milk is
made up of water.
He explains, " Breast milk is already 88 per cent water, you need not
add more. It has all the nutrients that the baby needs in the first
six months of life. Studies show that healthy, exclusively breastfed
infants under six months old do not need additional fluids, even in
countries with extremely high temperatures and low humidity.
" Offering water before six months reduces their breast milk intake,
interferes with full absorption of breast milk nutrients, and
increases the risk of illness from contaminated water and feeding
bottles."
Olanrewaju adds that nutrients in the breast milk are essential for
the baby's brain development, especially in the first year.
Here are some health benefits for mothers who breast feed.
Lowers cancer risk
Women who breastfeed for over six months are less likely to develop
early breast cancer, than women who do not breastfeed - as long as
they do not smoke - a surgeon-led study suggests.
Emilio Gonzalez-Jimenez, PhD, of the University of Granada in Spain,
and his colleagues came to this position after analysing the medical
records of 504 women between 19 and 91 years of age who had been
treated for breast cancer at one of the city's hospitals.
Women who had not breastfed their babies were, on the average, found
to get breast cancer 10 years earlier than breastfeeding mothers.
The university team included a number of factors in their analysis -
age of breast cancer diagnosis, length of breastfeeding, family
history of cancer , alcohol consumption and smoking habits.
Jimenez says, "Breastfeeding for periods of over six months not only
provides children with numerous health benefits, but also protects the
mother from serious diseases such as breast cancer.
