14 Oct 2013

A 50-year-old woman can produce milk enough to breastfeed a baby even if she has stopped giving birth, it has emerged.

Bokamoso Private Hospital midwife, Mr Billy Lubumbe said in an interview that a continuous stimulation of the breasts by a baby could lead to the woman producing milk. He explained that the stimulation would automatically tell the brain to release the hormone responsible for milk production to discharge the milk.

The interview followed the case in which a 39-year-old non-lactating Zimbabwean woman was charged with the offence of unlawful breastfeeding a child not belonging to her in BroadHurst’s Extension 10 location. 

BroadHurst police station commander, Superintendent Bonosi Molapisi said in an interview that Enie Mupariwa aged 39, was caught by the father of the child breastfeeding his baby girl. He reported the matter to the police.

He explained that the woman, who appeared before BroadHurst Magistrate Court on a holding charge of unlawful breastfeeding a child while she knew and had reasons to believe she was  likely to spread infectious diseases, was remanded in custody pending the outcome of the results of the HIV test results of the victim

He explained the child who is currently in a grace period after testing negative for HIV, will have to go for a second test to confirm her HIV/AIDS status. He stated that they recorded a similar case in the past but they had not yet established if she was still the same person.

Section 184 of the Penal Code stated that any person who unlawfully or negligently did any act which he/she knew or had reasons to believe was likely to spread the infection of any disease dangerous to life, was guilty of an offence and  liable to imprisonment to a term not exceeding two years, with a fine or both.

The woman will appear for another mention on October 24. She would also likely be charged with the offence of entering the country at an un-gazetted point, as it had been established that she was an illegal immigrant. Ends