Suboptimal breastfeeding practices: Threat to health, development of U-5 children, nation’s development, says Bauchi CSOs

It has been observed that despite the established benefits of breastfeeding to improve survival, health, and cognitive development of the child and economic growth of a nation, and its potential to prevent maternal death from cancer and type II diabetes among others, yet, suboptimal breastfeeding practices remains a threat to the health and development of children under five years and the nation’s development.

The observation was made during a press conference on Advocacy to Support Exclusive Breastfeeding Practices delivered by Dabis Mwalike, Secretary, Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria, Bauchi Chapter in commemoration of World Breastfeeding Week 2022 with the theme: “Step Up for Breastfeeding: Educate and Support.”

According to her, globally, over the last two decades, several initiatives have been put in place to promote, protect, and support breastfeeding practices.

She added that in August 1990, Policy Makers and International Agencies adopted the innocent declaration, which affirmed that all infants should receive “exclusive breastfeeding from birth to 4-6 months of age.

Also, WHO recommendations amended it to 6 months in 2001 to include early initiation of breast milk within one hour of birth, the introduction of nutritionally adequate and safe complementary (solid) foods at 6 months together with continued breastfeeding up to 2 years of age.”

In the same year, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child enshrined health and healthcare, including the advantages of breastfeeding as a legal obligation of countries that ratified the convention.

The convention called for states to take appropriate measures for children of working parents and to protect the public from improper and biased information that persuades mothers to give up breastfeeding.

According to her, in 1991, the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiate (BFHI) was Launched to scale up ten interventions in birthing facilities to protect, promote and support successful breastfeeding.

Dabis Mwalike however regretted that “despite these initiatives, breastfeeding rates are still below international targets of 50% by 2025 as targeted by the World Health Assembly, 2012.”

She disclosed that “Worldwide, 35 countries are on course to achieving breastfeeding targets, with 44.0% of infants age 0-5 months worldwide who are exclusively breastfed.”

According to her, “In Africa, about 20 countries are said to be on course to meeting exclusive breastfeeding targets with an estimated average of infants aged 0-5 months who are exclusively breastfed at 43.6%, which is lower than the global average of 44.0.

She added that although Breastfeeding is a common practice in Nigeria with 97% of children ever breastfed, based on the National Nutrition and Health Survey, 2018, the country is stated by Global Nutrition Report (2021) to have made some progress toward achieving the exclusive breastfeeding rates with 28.7% of infants aged 0-5 months who are exclusively breastfed, which is lower than the 43.6% average of the region.

Additionally, for other related indicators, like early initiation within the first hour of birth, only about 19% of children nationally were breastfed within the first hour of birth, which varies by region across the state in the North-East 16.4% of children were breastfed within the first hour of birth, while in Bauchi state is 7.8% this is low compared to Gombe state with 10.1%.

Several factors have been identified as responsible for low exclusive breastfeeding rates globally including Inadequate rates of exclusive breastfeeding result to social and cultural, health system and commercial factors as well as poor knowledge about breastfeeding these includes

Caregivers and societal beliefs favour mixed feeding by believing an infant needs additional liquids or solids before 6 months because breast milk alone is not adequate as well as Hospital and healthcare practices and policies that are not supportive of breastfeeding.

Another issue is the Lack of adequate skilled support in health facilities and communities and the promotion of infant formula, milk powder and other breast milk substitutes.

Others are inadequate maternity and leave legislation and other workplace policies that support a woman’s ability to breastfeed when she returns to work and Lack of knowledge on the dangers of not exclusively breastfeeding and of proper feeding techniques among women, their partners, families, health care providers and policymakers

Dabis Mwalike said that the objective of the press conference which was held at the NUJ Press Center is to educate and galvanize support for breastfeeding practices from key stakeholders in Bauchi State.

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• Suboptimal breastfeeding practices threat to health, development of U-5 children, nation’s development, says Bauchi CSOs