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Experts warn against breast milk substitute, trains Kaduna Journalists on MICYN reportage
http://www.newsportng.com.ng Nutrition experts have warned against breast milk substitute for new born babies, said it is tampering with natural process and tantamount to affect the mother in future.
The experts during a two-day orientation of Media Practitioners and Social Media Influencers on promotion and Reporting maternal infant and Young child feeding Nutrition, (MICYN) messages in Kaduna at the weekend, said breast milk is a natural magic from God.
A Consultant Nutritionist with the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, (UNICEF) Muhammed Sani Hassan, while engaging the Media practitioners, said some mothers become agitated immediately after delivery on the ground that the breast milk is not coming out for the new born child, meanwhile it can take six to eight hours before the milk can be produced.
Hassan, who is also Technical Advisor to Kaduna State Emergency Nutrition Action Plan, (KADENAP) disclosed that the little pocket at the nike of the breast of any man who is about to deliver can sustain the child for twelve to eighteen hours without any consequence and that is why the baby feels comfortable to suckle even when the milk is not forthcoming.
He lamented that rather than waiting for the breast milk to be formed, some persons run out of patience to give water, milk or any other thing available to the new baby as substitute, an act he said it’s tempering with the future of the woman not to continue to produce breast milk for the baby, hence she has given what the baby does not require but the breast milk.
He said, “We don’t expect the breast to flow until about six to eight hours. When a woman is about to deliver, there’s a natural preparation for breastfeeding. That is why you see some oily at the nike of the breast of any woman that wants to deliver.
“Also some little pocket. The content of that pocket is enough to sustain that child for twelve to eighteen hours without anything. It’s not breast milk, God knows that the breast milk will not produce immediately. So in the process , you will see the breast coming oily and some pockets on it. The content of that pocket can Sustain the baby without milk so there’s no point to panic because the baby is comfortable. So nobody should rush to give the baby water or milk. People looks for other alternatives within this hours because they are not aware.
“The magic of breastfeeding is quite interesting and it’s a natural process. It is God’s made, so let’s follow it. Always seek the advice of professionals and be guided appropriately because the implication is that you already tampering with the natural process of producing and using the breast milk. You are already exposing the child to substances that his or system is not be able to digest or use.
The nutritionist further cleared that when the situation is up to 24-hrs or more, it means there is a problem somewhere and the woman in that regard should go to the hospital and see a doctor, nurse, or nutritionists, who would access and find out why, meanwhile he assured that 99% of babies put to birth within one hour of life will have successful breastfeeding.
In his remarks, the Technical Advisor on Social and Behavior Change Communication, (SBCC) for Alive & Thrive, Auwalu Kawu, said the essence of the two-day training is to build the capacity of the media practitioners in providing information on nutrition, noting that the more Journalists are trained, the more they are informed and the more richer than their programs.
He said, “the challenges in nutrition is that everybody must play it’s role, the husbands must provides for his family, some food are available, but we have overcome that but what is missing is the ability of the providers to provide and the ability of the mother to cook the right meal at the right time, this is what is lacking here.” He said.
In the same vein, the Zonal Coordinator, Alive & Thrive, (A&T) Kaduna Sarah Didi Kwaau, while giving an overview of the vision and mission of A&T including it’s project in Kaduna state, said they have been a good partner to Kaduna state government and have recorded tremendous successes over time.
Sarah, stressed that the the six months maternity paid leave in Kaduna state is one of their achievements because they pushed for the bill and still pushing harder to ensure that it’s being implemented also in private institutions and not just at the government level.
Sarah said, “we have a lot of successes so far but we are currently having a drop in indices. Prior to now, much attention was not given to maternal concept but MICYN has brought them to limelight. The six months maternity paid leave in Kaduna state is also part of our achievements because we push for it and we are still pushing for other private institutions to adopt it.”
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