LAGOS State Health Commissioner Dr. Jide Idris yesterday urged women to see breastfeeding as first immunisation for the baby, urging them to breastfeed their babies exclusively for six months.
According to the commissioner, a well breast-fed child will not fall sick easily because the immunity that the child needs against early childhood diseases are provided in the breast milk.
Idris dropped the hint on the occasion of this year’s World Breastfeeding Week. He said that contrary to some assumptions associated with breastfeeding, any woman who breastfeeds will likely be insulated against the cancer of the breast and sagged breast as wrongly believed by some women.
The commissioner said: “A recent study showed that women that breastfed well have lesser risk of developing cancer, especially breast cancer. Likewise, breastfeeding exclusively is a form of child spacing so the woman can bounce back and recover fully from giving birth, the child will also have time to develop properly.
“And should a woman discover that she is expectant while breastfeeding, she should not stop breastfeeding the child for there is nothing wrong in carrying out the two simultaneously.”
Idris explained that the physiology of the breast and pregnancy are quite different and one does not interfere with the other. “There is nothing medically wrong unless the woman is not producing enough milk”, Idris said.
Shedding light on other benefits inherent in breastfeeding, Special Adviser on Primary Healthcare to the Lagos State Governor, Dr Olufemi Onanuga said the practice of exclusive breastfeeding will enhance vital and adequate nutrients required for healthy and maximum growth and development of breastfed babies.
Dr Onanuga said babies who are exclusively breastfed are protected from severe complications arising from childhood killer diseases such as diarrhea and pneumonia among others.
They also become healthy and productive adults.
Onanuga said: “Exclusive Breastfeeding and adequate Complementary Feeding are part of the key interventions for improving child survival and have the potential of saving about 20 percent of under five children from morbidity and mortality.
“Furthermore, about 50 to 60 percent of under-five mortality cases are largely due to malnutrition, caused by poor breastfeeding practices and inadequate complementary feeding.”