05 Aug 2015

Princess Marina Hospital superintendent, Dr Kelebogile Motumise, says infants should be given breast milk only from birth to six months.

Speaking during the commemoration of breastfeeding week at Princess Marina recently, Dr Motumise said breastfeeding provided nutrients, which helped protect infants from diseases. 

After the period of six months, infants could be introduced to other supplementary foods, but could continue to be breastfed for up to two years or more. 

Dr Motumisi said research showed that globally, 38 per cent of babies were breastfed only whereas in Botswana 20 per cent of babies were also breastfed. He said government was doing great by giving 84 days of maternity and one hour of feeding for a year to all mothers either in the formal or informal sector. 

He said in Princess Marina, there was a committee, which would assist and encourage breastfeeding amongst their workers. He said the committee was planning to introduce a room whereby mothers could be allowed to go and feed within the working environment.

He, however, noted that more could still be done to promote and facilitate breastfeeding amongst workers. Dr Motumise urged all mothers to take breastfeeding seriously and to encourage others to do the same.

Botswana Breastfeeding Association (BOBA) chairperson, Ms Dikoloti Morewane ,emphasised that breastfeeding was the most important thing especially in the first six months of a baby. 

She said the role of health in breastfeeding was vital and the voice of health workers was to educate people and to protect breastfeeding. She said it is the role of BOBA to encourage and promote breastfeeding to make sure it wasdone accordingly. 

Breastfeeding week is commemorated worldwide from the first of August up until the seventh day. Ends