Poised to protect, promote and support breastfeeding across different levels of society, the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Rivers State Chapter has called for the strengthening of the capacity of actors who make up the warm chain of support for breastfeeding.
In a statement to mark this year’s World Breastfeeding Week, which was signed by its Chairperson, Susan Serekara-Nwikhana, and Secretary, Dr Ngozi Anosike, the Rivers State NAWOJ noted that Government at all levels, health systems, workplaces and communities should be well informed, educated and empowered so as to strengthen their capacities to provide and sustain breastfeeding-friendly environments.
The association also stressed the need to encourage women to breastfeed their children for a certain period, at least two years after birth, adding that how and what is fed to children in their first two years of life has a particularly significant bearing on their survival, growth, and overall development.
Blaming the surge in infant mortality rate on the drop in the number of mothers who do exclusive breastfeeding, it maintained that breastfeeding has a significant impact on the health of a mother and baby and chronicled the advantages of the process.
NAWOJ further called for proper education of the nursing mothers on several facts regarding breastfeeding, including what nursing mothers should eat, when they should feed their children, amongst other things.
“It is recommended by WHO and UNICEF that breastfeeding should be started within an hour of the birth of the baby with exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months and continuation of breastfeeding for two years and beyond.
Breastfeeding not only plays a dominant role in child nutrition it also has long term effects and is beneficial for mothers as well.
Exclusively breastfed children score better on intelligence tests and have a lower risk of developing obesity and non-communicable diseases in adulthood.
In mothers, exclusive breastfeeding helps to drop the pregnancy weight faster, lowers the risk of breast cancer and ovarian cancer and acts as a natural child birth control”.
World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) is observed from August 1st to 7th every year.
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