Creating a baby-friendly environment

ACCORDING to a survey by the National Population Commission (NPC) in 2013, the rate of exclusive breastfeeding in Nigeria was 17 per cent. Only 17 per cent of infants less than six months are exclusively breastfed and the median duration of exclusive breastfeeding is 0.5 months (2 weeks) which indicates that 50 per cent of infants are not exclusively breastfed for even a month and this has remained unchanged since 2008. The median duration of predominant breastfeeding was put at 4.4 months.

Breastfeeding is the most appropriate method of feeding infants. Different studies have confirmed that breast milk contains all that is needed for the normal growth and development of an infant during the first six months of life.  But after six months, breast milk is no longer sufficient to meet an infant’s energy and nutrient requirements, hence complementary foods are introduced gradually alongside continued breastfeeding for up to two years. It is therefore recommended that mothers breastfeed their infants exclusively; without added food or medicinal supplementation or any other liquids including water, for the first six months, and then continue breastfeeding with adequate complementary feeding for up to 2 years or beyond.

Breast milk contains antibodies which strengthen an infant’s immune system and protects him from preventable childhood infections such as diarrhoea and pneumonia. It also promotes sensory and cognitive development. Breastfeeding contributes to the health of mothers by contraction of the uterus to normal size after delivery, helping to space children and reducing the risk of breast and ovarian cancers. It also helps to increase family resources because it is a safer, easier and cheaper method of feeding compared to artificial baby formulas; breast milk is always available, is at the right concentration and temperature for consumption, and is easily digested by the infant. Breastfeeding also has an impact on the economy of a nation because fewer funds will be spent in treating infants with infectious illnesses and a well nourished child will grow up to be a productive adult who will contribute greatly to the development of the nation.

It has been discovered that despite the numerous known benefits of breastfeeding, many women still breastfeed their infants partially or for a short duration. For breastfeeding to be practised exclusively, mothers will face situations where they would have to breastfeed in public places, be it in enclosed areas or outdoors because exclusive breastfeeding requires that the mother feeds the child on demand at any location. But breastfeeding in public is sometimes frowned upon and there are many cultural, legal, social and religious factors that play a role in the acceptance of public nursing. The discomfort with the idea of breastfeeding in public due to embarrassment and stigmatization has been cited as one of the reasons why many women choose not to initiate breastfeeding at all or plan a shorter duration of breastfeeding and this has a significant effect on the rate of breastfeeding in Nigeria. The negative attitude towards nursing in public are in different dimensions, some people find it very offensive because they see the breasts as sexual organs and hence breastfeeding is termed a sexual act, others because of religious reasons choose not to breastfeed in public because of their strict belief in modesty and so they are convinced that all naked skin should be covered.

Returning to work is another challenge that gainfully employed mothers encounter in adhering to the recommended breastfeeding practices. Many working environments in Nigeria are not supportive of female employees who have just become mothers and are breastfeeding. Mothers in these types of settings therefore have no choice but to stop breastfeeding their infants earlier than the suggested time and the introduction of alternative infant formulas is always the case. Employers often have an unwillingness to accommodate the needs of nursing mothers because it seen as unprofessional and that it will cut out on work effectiveness and thereby affect the company’s productivity. But supporting breastfeeding in the workplace has its business benefits; it reduces days of work absence due to care of sick infants because breastfed babies are generally healthier. Mothers who are supported have improved morale, are better satisfied with their jobs and are more productive during working hours.

The Public Health message of breastfeeding being important for maternal and child health may not be enough.Therefore, the nutritional function of the breast can be taken to social and public spaces, including the media. The normalcy of breastfeeding in open places can be reintroduced through the publication of images and posters of women of all ages, body types and sizes depicting public nursing in a bid to induce a behavioural change among Nigeria’s population, to make the act morally acceptable and also to make breastfeeding mothers comfortable. Every public place can create nursing rooms where mothers can change their babies, breastfeed and express milk comfortably. Every human has the right to food including infants, so mothers should be given the permission to breastfeed their infants during work hours.

• Laditan is a postgraduate student of the University of Ibadan