At least 80,000 child deaths can be prevented annually when exclusive breastfeeding is optimally practiced, Osagie Ehanire, minister of health has said.
The minister also said breastfeeding provides huge health benefits to both infants and mothers as it could prevent about 20,000 maternal deaths every year, postpartum bleeding, lower the risk of breast and ovarian cancers, and many more.
Ehanire said this in his speech to mark the 2020 World Breastfeeding Week, with the theme “Support Breastfeeding For a Healthier Planet”
The minister stressed that the benefits of breastfeeding to both mother and baby cannot be over emphasized. He noted that early initiation of breastfeeding within one hour of birth, exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life, continued breastfeeding up to two years of age or beyond, with the introduction of appropriate complementary foods from six months, is the best practice.
“Breastfed babies have stronger immunity, reduces the risk of infections and many childhood illnesses, and may also have longer-term health benefits including reduced risk of overweight and obesity in childhood and adolescence.
“Studies have shown that obesity rates are 15-30 percent lower in breastfed babies compared to formula-fed babies”, he explained.
The minister however regrets that optimal breastfeeding is not optimally practiced in Nigeria. Quoting the National Demographic and Health Survey 2018, the minister said the early initiation rate of breastfeeding is 42 percent which clearly shows that not up to half Nigerian children are breastfed within one hour of birth.
“Also, the exclusive breastfeeding rate in Nigeria is 29 percent indicating that only a mere percentage of infants aged 0-6 months are exclusively breastfed leaving a whopping 71 percent of infants not enjoying the benefits of breast milk in their formative years. Only 9 percent of organizations have a workplace breastfeeding policy”, he said.
“Looking at the data, it has been a great challenge in Nigeria as mothers and caregivers are neither fully aware of the importance of breastfeeding nor received adequate support from the environment to optimally breastfeed their babies.
“This is why the celebration of week is to inform and educate mothers as well as galvanize more support from the Government/Legislation, Family and social network, health care system, workplace and employment, and Response to Crisis and Emergency on the benefits of breastfeeding”, the minister added.
Ehanire further said the 2020 celebration focuses on the impact of infant feeding on the environment, while noting that Breastfeeding is environmentally friendly as it does not waste scarce resources or create pollution.
“Breast milk is a naturally-renewable resource that requires no packaging, shipping, or disposal and its production does not harm the environment”, Ehanire said.
Olorunimbe Mamora, minister of state for health, stressed the importance of breastfeeding to both the mother and child. He pointed out that not breastfeeding will result in lower intelligence and results in economic losses of about $302 billion annually.
He added that breastfeeding helps with birth spacing, reduces risk of breast and ovarian cancers and lowers the risk of hypertension and diabetes for mothers. While the child benefits includes; reduced risks of infectious diseases, incidence and severity of diarrhoea, lowers respiratory infections and acute otitis media, prevents dental caries and malocclusion and increases intelligence.
