12 Aug 2013

Mothers in Nkange have been encouraged to breastfeed their babies immediately after birth till a period of two years.

Speaking at the Tutume Sub-district breastfeeding commemoration recently, the senior nursing officer at Nyangabwe Referral Hospital, Ms Virginia Majama said breastfeeding helped the baby to bond with its mother.

Ms Majama said breastfeeding was the fundamental component of the child-survival strategy and that breast milk was a natural first food for a baby. Furthermore, the milk provided all the energy and nutrients that the infant needed for the first months of life, she noted.

Breast milk also continued to provide up to half or more of a child’s nutritional needs during the second half of the first year and up to one third during the second year of life, she said. Furthermore, she said the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding on child survival, growth and development, were well documented, adding that exclusive breastfeeding also provided health benefits for mothers.

Improper knowledge was a major cause of the onset of malnutrition in young children who were not breastfed appropriately as they had repeated infections, grew slowly and were almost six times more likely to die by the age of one month compared to children who received at least some breast milk.

The nursing officer said several studies had been carried out on breastfeeding and there had been some important factors influencing breastfeeding practice to reach satisfactory levels. She said education of the mother was one of the most important determinants for increasing breastfeeding practice.

In his welcoming remarks, Kgosi Toteng Ndzonga of Nkange said if children were well nourished, they would make a healthy nation, adding that an educated mother can help make a healthy nation. “A nourished nation can enrich its human resources and thus proper knowledge on breastfeeding among female workers is very important,” he said.

Kgosi Ndzonga urged young mothers to breastfeed their babies so that they can bond to each other, adding that it will also help the child to recognize their biological mother easily. He said knowledge about breastfeeding among women is very important for healthy children and also encouraged men to support mothers on the issue of breastfeeding. Ends