National Library to distribute books to expectant mothers

THE National Library of Nigeria said that it would embark on the distribution of books to expectant mothers in the country, to read and serve as a means to enhance communications between them and their unborn babies.

The National Librarian,  Lenrie Aina made this known at the 2018 Readership Promotion Campaign with the theme “Sustaining Life-Long Reading for Positive Change,”  held at Abeoukta, Ogun State. He stated that the development would provide auditory stimulation for the baby’s growing brain and also acclimate children to the sound of their parents voices.

He explained that the National Library would commence  distribution of books to pregnant women in some selected hospitals during ante-natal days, explaining that the authority is strengthened to pursue this line of action by taking a clue from a renowned writer and child psychologist, M.M Sabah Karini in one of her works titled, ‘How Does Reading During Pregnancy Increase Baby’s Intelligence’

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Aina added further that the book talked about benefits of mothers reading to their unborn children, and it made us to know that reading to the unborn child improves the baby’s cognitive intelligence with a variety of stimuli, and increase the baby’s intelligence

‘It is therefore pertinent that I encourage pregnant mothers to read to their unborn children and that we should all cultivate the culture of reading in order to benefit maximally and progress as a nation. In addition, the book also made us to know that when the unborn child is read to at delivery, the baby is more likely respond to the people to whom he/she listened to during development’, he stated.