by Bukola Adebayo
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.
Also, experts at the American Institute
for Cancer Research recommend that new mothers breastfeed their children
for at least the first six months. They cite convincing evidence that
this practice offers cancer protection to both mother and child.
According to AICR, new mothers can
directly lower their own risk of both pre- and post-menopausal breast
cancer by breastfeeding.
They add that children who are breastfed
are less likely to become overweight or obese, which in turn lowers
their risk of several common cancers that have now been convincingly
linked to excess body fat.
The scientists note that mothers who
breastfeed recover from childbirth more quickly and easily. According to
them, the hormone oxytocin, released during breastfeeding, acts to
return the uterus to its regular size more quickly and can reduce
postpartum bleeding.
Finally, exclusive breastfeeding delays
the return of the mother’s menstrual period, which can help extend the
time between pregnancies.
It is a natural form of contraception and family planning , if the mother’s menses have not returned.
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