The Nigeria Association of Women Journalists(NAWOJ), Edo State Chapter, recently joined other organizations across the world to observe this year’s World Breastfeeding Week. World Breastfeeding Week is a week-long event observed during the first week of August, every year.
The theme for World Breastfeeding Week 2023 is “Let’s make breastfeeding and work, work!” The theme emphasises necessary actions by policymakers, employers to support continued exclusive breastfeeding by working mothers.
In commemoration of the event, the association of women journalists in the state led by the chairperson, Comrade Adesuwa Ehimuan, converged at the Central Hospital in Benin where they addressed the nursing and expectant mothers.
In her pep talk, Comrade Adesuwa Ehimuan told the nursing and expectant mothers of the importance of the week which is an initiative of the United Nations (UN)World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF).
According to the NAWOJ Chairperson, the international organizations recommended optimal breastfeeding which includes exclusively breastfeeding (only breastmilk without any additional food or water, for a child during the first six months of life). Thereafter, continuous breastfeeding of the child to the age of two with an addition of suitable and sufficient supplementary foods.
This year’s campaign focuses on promoting practices that can help support workplace-related breastfeeding in different countries. Breastfeeding plays a crucial role in ensuring the proper growth and development of a child.
Comrade Adesuwa Ehimuan appealed to employers of labour to endeavor to provide their employees with paid breaks and facilities for breastfeeding. Breast milk is the primary source for all their nutritional needs in the initial few months of an infant’s life, as it comprises water, carbohydrate, protein, vitamins, and other minerals (calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, sodium, etc). She stressed that proper breastfeeding of babies gives strength to the children and boosts their immunities.
Also speaking at the event, a guest speaker, Dr. Onose Shalom, from the Nigeria Medical Women Association, MWAN Edo State Chapter said, “it is wise to breastfeed your babies for a minimum period of six months. If possible, it can even be up to two years. This will prevent the child from falling sick unnecessarily.
“Ensure you position your baby properly so that the breast milk does not flow to ears. If it flows to the ears, it will definitely cause some infections,” she said.
She further advised mothers to avoid stress which can lead to hypertension. Over one hundred nursing and expectant mothers were gifted items as a way of support.
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