- Inaugurates breastfeeding guardians
To scale up infant and young child feeding practices in Lagos State, a Non- Governmental Organisation, FHI 360 Alive and Thrive, has inaugurated a set of breastfeeding guardians with a mandate to sensitise nursing and expectant mothers on the importance of early initiation of breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding and dietary diversity in 10 selected local government areas of the state.
The breastfeeding guardians are made up of health educators, community and religious leaders, who will be working in the 10 local government areas by serving as ambassadors of optimal infant feeding practices in their various communities.
Their major assignment is to raise awareness on the importance of exclusive breastfeeding and early initiation of breastfeeding within the first hour of life and ensure that mothers practice real exclusive breastfeeding- that is the infant only receives breast milk without any additional food or drink, not even water in the first six months of life.
According to UNICEF, exclusively breastfed children are less susceptible to diarrhoea and pneumonia and are 14 times more likely to survive than non-breastfed children.[
Besides encouraging nursing mothers to make exclusive breastfeeding a priority, the breastfeeding guardians are also expected to show them proper sitting position and how to get their baby to latch properly.
The local government areas to be covered include; Ikeja, Eti-Osa, Lagos Mainland, Agege, Ojo, Shomolu , Ajeromi/Ifelodun, Kosofe, Apapa and Surulere.
Speaking during their investiture recently, State Team Lead, FHI 360 Alive & Thrive Project, Dr. Uche Ralph-Opara, said the whole essence of inaugurating the breastfeeding guardians was to increase the indices of early initiation of breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding and dietary diversity in Lagos state.
Ralph-Opara stated that achieving high optimal infant feeding practices among mothers would go a long way in preventing malnutrition and stunting in children.
Her words , ” Guardians are caring, so care for nursing mothers and pregnant women by encouraging them to embrace exclusive breastfeeding. Provide physical and psychological support for them. Properly explain the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding to them. You are influencers in your communities so lend your voice any where you go.
“Your role is critical and you will make significant impact if you do the work diligently. Remember that if Lagos makes a significant progress in exclusive breastfeeding, it will change the national narrative considering its huge population .So, leverage on churches, mosques, market places to address cultural practices that limit the practice of exclusive breastfeeding.”
One of the community leaders and Iyalode of Ijora Land, Alhaja Sidikatu Olusanya, in her remarks, testified to the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding through one of her children whom she said was doing exceptionally
well.
“Exclusive breastfeeding I can tell you has a lot of benefits. I am reaping the benefits today. One of my children that I breastfed for two years is doing so well than others because he is very brilliant. So we must spread the message to our mothers to invest in the nutrition of their children rather than in Ankara, “ she said.
