ADVERTISEMENT
The Sun Nigeria
  • National
  • Columns
    • Broken Tongues
    • Capital Matters
    • Diabetes Corner
    • Duro Onabule
    • Femi Adesina
    • Frank Talk
    • Funke Egbemode
    • Insights
    • Kalu Leadership Series
    • Kunle Solaja
    • Offside Musings
    • PressClips
    • Public Sphere
    • Ralph Egbu
    • Shola Oshunkeye
    • Sideview
    • The Flipside – Eric Osagie
    • Tola Adeniyi
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • The Sun TV
  • Sporting Sun
  • The Sun Foundation
No Result
View All Result
  • National
  • Columns
    • Broken Tongues
    • Capital Matters
    • Diabetes Corner
    • Duro Onabule
    • Femi Adesina
    • Frank Talk
    • Funke Egbemode
    • Insights
    • Kalu Leadership Series
    • Kunle Solaja
    • Offside Musings
    • PressClips
    • Public Sphere
    • Ralph Egbu
    • Shola Oshunkeye
    • Sideview
    • The Flipside – Eric Osagie
    • Tola Adeniyi
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • The Sun TV
  • Sporting Sun
  • The Sun Foundation
No Result
View All Result
The Sun Nigeria
No Result
View All Result
ADVERTISEMENT
Home Columns

World breastfeeding week

9th August 2020
in Columns
0
Health promotion
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Every year, since 1992, from the 1st -7th of August, World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) is celebrated with awareness campaigns as well as other activities to encourage breastfeeding among mothers in commemoration of the 1990 Innocenti Declaration by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and United Nation’s Children Fund (UNICEF) to support breastfeeding. The world breastfeeding week is an annual global that raises awareness, stirs action towards breastfeeding and other related issues as well as improve the health of babies around the world. It is a public health initiative with annual theme which calls people to action towards achieving better breastfeeding practices. The theme for WBW2020 is “Support breastfeeding for a healthier planet.” WBW was first celebrated by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) and now WHO, UNICEF as well as other organisations and governments observe it.

Breastfeeding promotion, which includes all plans and actions that aim at improving health through breastfeeding, is very important because proper breastfeeding practice is not popular despite the many benefits. The WHO/UNICEF recommends that breastfeeding be initiated as soon as possible after birth (within the first 1 hour of life), infants be exclusively breastfed for the first six months, nutritionally adequate and safe complementary foods be introduced afterwards and breastfeeding continued up to two years and beyond. Infants who are appropriately breastfed have been reported to experience many benefits from childhood and through adulthood. Breast milk is the ideal food for infants as it contains a variety of nutrients required by infants for survival, growth and development. Exclusive breastfeeding is a critical tool in achieving improved health through breastfeeding as studies report that infants who are exclusively breastfed are protected from childhood diseases like respiratory tract infections (such as pneumonia) and diarrhoea. Exclusive breastfeeding also reduces the risk of overweight or obesity in adulthood, as well as the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Also, some studies report that individuals who were exclusively breastfed do better in intelligence tests among its many benefits. For mothers, breastfeeding has been reported to protect against breast and ovarian cancers, prevents postpartum haemorrhage as well as reduce the incidence of hypertension and Type 2 diabetes. Breastfeeding helps the mother and baby to bond better and can help in child spacing. Clearly, it can be seen that breastfeeding is essential for optimal health in infants and improves health among mothers. It is beneficial to families as it is cost-effective, safe, also, as a result of the fact that breastfeeding keeps the child healthy, less resources could be spent on healthcare and could be used in other areas, leading to possible improvement on the quality of life among family members.

Although breastfeeding is very rewarding, there could be challenges experienced and as such breastfeeding mothers require guidance and support. The impact of these challenges on breastfeeding practices may differ considerably depending on the quality of support received before, during and after delivery. Everyone has a role to play in supporting breastfeeding in the best ways possible and support could be offered at different levels of care like the prenatal and postnatal periods by healthcare workers providing skilled breastfeeding counselling. Governments are encouraged to make reasonable commitments (including resources) towards ensuring that skilled breastfeeding counselling is made available and easily accessible to mothers as well as their families. Breastfeeding support can also be gotten from family/friends (especially spouse/partner), peer groups, workplaces, non- governmental organisations, private sectors, government and government agencies in order to improve nutritional outcomes among infants.

Getting back on the theme for WBW2020, highlighting the role breastfeeding plays in maintaining a healthier planet is important. All the diverse benefits breastfeeding gives to both mother and child contributes to achieving a healthier planet. As a natural process, breastfeeding usually requires minimal use equipment that are not environment-friendly as compared to the use of formula in feeding infants which requires the use of plastics and other materials which may be harmful to both baby and the planet. It is cost-effective and does not pollute the environment. When mothers choose to breastfeed, they make a tremendous contribution to the improving the planet, thus making it safer for future generations. Breastfeeding serves as a tool in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Providing breastfeeding support by creating awareness and empowering nursing mothers in timely especially during the on-going COVID-19 pandemic. It is important that all pregnant or nursing mothers can comfortably seek answers to any health-related questions or worries, especially those on breastfeeding whenever and wherever it is required. Some common concerns of would-be or new mothers include fears of contracting and transmitting COVID-19 to their unborn or breastfed babies. WHO encourage women who are suspected or confirmed to be infected with COVID-19 to continue breastfeeding as long term gains of breastfeeding outweighs the potential risk of transmission of the virus. Mothers who are suspected or confirmed to be infected with COVID-19 and have symptoms like fever, cough, breathing difficulty among others should observe respiratory hygiene measures such as frequent hand washing with soap and water particularly before touching the infant, she(mother) should wear a face mask when feeding the baby, coughing or sneezing into a tissue which should be discarded immediately followed by thorough hand washing, cleaning and disinfection of surfaces touched by the mother, as well as maintaining physical distancing form other people. Depending on how well a mother with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 is putting the child to breast should ideally be continued. Some mothers may feel too unwell to feed the baby directly from the breasts and may discontinue breastfeeding. However, it is advised that they discuss options of delivering breast milk to their infants with their primary healthcare provider and recommence breastfeeding when they feel better.

Rapheal

Rapheal

Related Posts

The economy and social investment programme
Columns

 Scarcity of the new naira notes

3rd February 2023
Expressions to use while speaking over the phone (or in everyday situations)
Columns

Preparing to write? Use learning logs, journals, writing portfolios

3rd February 2023
Era of contingency jobs is here
Columns

Blacks and failed race syndrome

3rd February 2023
Next Post
Imo pension drama and desperation of the opposition

Imo pension drama and desperation of the opposition

Inter-Religious Dialogue, Vatican City and Bishop Denis Isizoh

The gruesome murder of aid workers

The gruesome murder of aid workers

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Highlights

NHRC holds meeting with guber candidates in Nasarawa

Fuel crisis, naira re- design plot to create instability, poll extension –Tinubu

Atiku knocks el-Rufai over comment on Naira scarcity

Terrorists massacre 41 Yankasai group members in Katsina

Glo subscribers get exclusive Galaxy S-3 offer from Samsung 

Revealed: Why G-5 govs won’t endorse Tinubu, Obi

Trending

You’re a failed politician -Lai
National

2023 polls: FG meets Google, Facebook over fakes news

4th February 2023
0

From Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja  The Federal Government, yesterday, called on Google and Meta, owners of Facebook, WhatsApp...

Ohanaeze insists on Obi, flays insecurity in South East

PDP, APC, APGA collapse into LP in Anambra, declare total support for Obi

4th February 2023
PDP extends sale of nomination forms, mocks APC over price

Don’t push an agenda inimical to quest for Nigeria’s unity, PDP tells Clark

4th February 2023
Insurgency: Commission trains soldiers on rights, civilian protection

NHRC holds meeting with guber candidates in Nasarawa

4th February 2023
I’ve knowledge to lead Nigeria to prosperity –Tinubu

Fuel crisis, naira re- design plot to create instability, poll extension –Tinubu

4th February 2023
ADVERTISEMENT

Follow us on social media:

Latest News

  • 2023 polls: FG meets Google, Facebook over fakes news
  • PDP, APC, APGA collapse into LP in Anambra, declare total support for Obi
  • Don’t push an agenda inimical to quest for Nigeria’s unity, PDP tells Clark
  • NHRC holds meeting with guber candidates in Nasarawa
  • Fuel crisis, naira re- design plot to create instability, poll extension –Tinubu
  • Atiku knocks el-Rufai over comment on Naira scarcity
  • Terrorists massacre 41 Yankasai group members in Katsina
  • Glo subscribers get exclusive Galaxy S-3 offer from Samsung 
  • Revealed: Why G-5 govs won’t endorse Tinubu, Obi
  • Cash shortage: Give me seven days to decide, Buhari tells Nigerians
  • We haven’t endorsed any candidate –OPC
  • CBN begs Nigerians over scarcity of Naira notes
  • I set my wife ablaze for failing to serve me food on time – Suspect
  • Wike to Buhari: New Naira implementation policy is anti-people
  • Atiku alleges plot to incite Nigerians, disrupt polls
  • New Naira note: Buhari, Emefiele, stop inflicting suffering on Nigerians — Oluwo of Iwo
  • Anambra police repel another gunmen attack on police station, recover bombs, others
  • Scarcity: Taskforce storms petrol stations in Delta, warns against hoarding
  • Voting for APC, PDP is like romancing with the devil- Majasan
  • New Naira notes scarcity forces students, soldiers clash at UNIBEN

Categories

  • Abuja Metro
  • Anambra Watch
  • Arts
  • Broken Tongues
  • Business
  • Business Week
  • Cartoons
  • Citizen Joe
  • Columns
  • Cover
  • Culture
  • Duro Onabule
  • Editorial
  • Education Review
  • Effect
  • Elections
  • Entertainment
  • Events
  • Features
  • Femi Adesina
  • Food & Drinks
  • Frank Talk
  • Funke Egbemode
  • Gallery
  • Global Square by Kenneth Okonkwo
  • Health
  • Insights
  • Kalu Leadership Series
  • Kunle Solaja
  • Kunle Solaja
  • Letters
  • Lifeline
  • Lifestyle
  • Literary Review
  • Marketing Matters
  • Muiz Banire
  • National
  • News
  • Offside Musings
  • Opinion
  • oriental news
  • Politics
  • Press Release
  • PressClips
  • Public Sphere
  • Ralph Egbu
  • Shola Oshunkeye
  • Sideview
  • South-west Magazine
  • Sponsored Post
  • Sporting Sun
  • Sports
  • Sun Girl
  • Tea Time
  • The Flipside – Eric Osagie
  • The Sun Awards Live
  • The Sun TV
  • Thoughts & Talks
  • Time Out
  • Today's cover
  • Tola Adeniyi
  • Travel
  • Travel & Tourism
  • Trending
  • TSWeekend
  • Turf Game
  • Uncategorized
  • Updates
  • Views from Abroad
  • Voices
  • World
  • World News
  • About Us
  • Paper Ad Rate
  • Online Ad Rate
  • Change of Name
  • The Team
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy

© 2019 The Sun Nigeria - Managed by Netsera.

No Result
View All Result
  • National
  • Columns
    • Broken Tongues
    • Capital Matters
    • Diabetes Corner
    • Duro Onabule
    • Femi Adesina
    • Frank Talk
    • Funke Egbemode
    • Insights
    • Kalu Leadership Series
    • Kunle Solaja
    • Offside Musings
    • PressClips
    • Public Sphere
    • Ralph Egbu
    • Shola Oshunkeye
    • Sideview
    • The Flipside – Eric Osagie
    • Tola Adeniyi
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • The Sun TV
  • Sporting Sun
  • The Sun Foundation

© 2019 The Sun Nigeria - Managed by Netsera.