Massaging breasts, nipples by men promote optimal breastfeeding  

Breastmilk is the best for babies in their first six months of life. In this report by SADE OGUNTOLA, even at the community level, increased awareness and the practices of appropriate feeding in Lagos State is reversing malnutrition in children.

FATHERS can play a key role in bolstering their breastfeeding partner’s confidence by showering them with compliments, praising their efforts, and offering words of encouragement.

But much more, fathers can play a pivotal role in assisting mothers to initiate and continue breastfeeding. “Fathers can suck the breast in pregnancy; this ensures that the nipples will not be retracted and the breast will be ready for feeding,” said Mrs Margaret Giwa, the matron at Soteria Hospital, Omole, Ikeja.

Soteria Hospital is one of the many private and government hospitals promoting infant and young infant feeding practices in 10 local government areas in Lagos State. It offers services to at least 180 pregnant women in a month.

Lagos state government in collaboration with Alive and Thrive, a project managed by FHIs 360 over the past three years, has been working on reducing malnutrition to the barest minimum.

The 10 local government areas were picked after a need assessment indicated malnutrition was rife in its communities and the need to tackle it, including at the health facility and community level.

Of course, different stakeholders, including breastfeeding guardians, community volunteers, health workers, as well as community and religious leaders, were involved in this intervention to promote early initiation of breastfeeding within one hour of birth, exclusive breastfeeding and adequate complementary feeding for babies after six months.

Mrs Giwa, said when fathers massage the breasts and pull out their wives nipples in pregnancy, this ensures the new baby will be to able to latch on better on the breasts immediately after delivery.

A good latch to the breast ensures the new baby benefits from nature’s first antibiotic, the colostrum, tune on breast milk production and the woman’s womb can go back early to its normal size.

According to Mrs Giwa, within one hour of delivery, all babies, including those delivered through caesarian section, should be put to the breast to have the first breastmilk that is rich in colostrum.

She added that effective latching  in a newborn not put to the breast immediately after birth takes a longer time.

“Majority of mothers are ignorant of the importance of colostrum. From when they start attending the antenatal clinic, we educate them. We teach them how to prepare for breastfeeding. We do not want them to introduce infant formula because once they do so, it could compromise their  baby’s immunity,” she declared.

Babies are to be breastfed exclusively with breastmilk for their first six months of living, and then they continue on breastmilk and other complementary feedings till they are two years old. These complementary foods are home-prepared, balanced meals to support their growth.

Mrs Giwa, whose mastery of baby positioning for better breastfeeding was improved through training by Alive and Thrive project, declared that mothers during antenatal clinics are also thought different ways to position a baby for breastfeeding to prevent painful breasts.

Dr Akintoba Akintayo, medical officer of health, Agege Local Government Area said malnutrition was prevalent in Agege, particularly among children

He said at Dopemu Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC), creating awareness among mothers on appropriate infant and young children feeding was a key part of this intervention by Lagos State government and Alive and Thrive project to curb malnutrition in the community.

Dr Akintayo added: “We also had ambassadors for breastfeeding practices and community volunteers in the community to ensure increased awareness of breastfeeding.

“The community volunteers go from house to house to encourage mothers to adopt exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months after the child’s birth and then adopt complementary feeding with breast milk subsequently until the child is at least two years old.”

Mrs Ireti Badejo, a community volunteer and health educator at Lagos Mainland Local Government Area, said in her work in the community, even educated people, including medical doctors, still hold the wrong notion that exclusive breastfeeding of babies for the first six months is not possible and that breastmilk alone is not sufficient for a baby within that period.

“During one of the house to house visits, I was called to meet with a medical doctor that trained abroad, who did not believe in exclusive breastfeeding because in overseas immediately you give birth, they give you infant formula for the child,” she stated.

It took Mrs Badejo over three hours to reason it out with the doctor why breastmilk is the best food for the baby and how exclusive breastfeeding can be done successfully even by a career mother.

Mr Akanbi Ademola, a community volunteer at Alagomeji ward in Lagos Mainland LGA said, “when we come across children with poor nutritional status, we are able to change their mother’s orientation on how to feed them to make them thrive.”

Mr Ademola declared that preaching to men to support their wives to breastfeed their child exclusively for six months and till two years while complementing with other locally available foods is easy.

“When you are out to change the life of people, going into the community to work as a volunteer on issues like this is very easy,” he declared.

Mrs Adetutu Ogunniyi is a community influencer attached to Sango PHC, Pen Cinema that follows up mothers, including pregnant women, that have received infant and young children feeding counselling at this health facility in Agege community.

Mrs Ogunniyi, who is resident in this community, said “we go to pregnant women to teach them what to do during pregnancy and after delivery what they should do about breastfeeding and after six months, adding complementary feeding in their homes.”

However, she said a common complaint by them is lack of money to feed even as the majority of the women are usually not prepared for their baby’s arrival.

Bale Ajegunle, Chief Murisiko Balogun, is one of the ambassadors for breastfeeding practices in Lagos State. He said part of discussions at Ajegunle town hall meeting is the importance of exclusive breastfeeding.

He said: “The breast belongs to the new baby. When we see a father saying that a child should not breastfeed exclusively for six months and till two years while complementing with other locally available foods, such is going against government rules.”

Mrs Adesola Oretuga is the officer in charge of Dopemu PHC that attends to about 150 mothers and their children every year. Her testimony is “since we have been working with Alive and Thrive project, we have had a reduction in malnutrition rate because we have been telling them how to give only breastmilk right from birth, without adding water or herbal concoction.”

Mrs Temitope Bakare, the officer in charge of the Simpson PHC, Agege said the intervention had caused an increase from 40 per cent to 80 per cent in exclusive breastfeeding rate, early initiation of breastfeeding  and adequate complementary feeding of young children activities in babies they take care at the PHC.

Director, Health Education, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Mrs Rashidat Hazzan, said the emphasis of the intervention included ensuring behavioural change at the community level on exclusive breastfeeding and adequate nutritional supplement for babies after six months.

She said challenges encountered in promoting adequate infant feeding in babies from mothers included late initiation of breastfeeding, mothers given water or herbal concoction with breastmilk and always in a hurry to breastfeed their children.

Mrs Taiwo Fadairo, chief nutrition officer, Lagos State Ministry of Health said there has been a tremendous change. “For instance, Lagos State’s exclusive breastfeeding rate has jumped from 17 per cent in fourth round Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey to 51.8 per cent in its fifth rounds survey. Also, cases of stunting, a severe form of malnutrition has reduced,” she declared.