National Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) [1] reports in Nigeria showed that in 2013 the rate of exclusive breast-feeding has dropped to 17%, this is one of the worst rates in the world by all standards, according to the report only 9% of nursing mothers in Abuja breast-fed their babies for the first 6 months as advised by doctors.
Researchers in the US [2] have discovered that $13 million could be saved each year if 90% of mothers exclusively breast-feed their babies for the first 6 months of life. For every 1,000 babies not breast-fed, there will be an approximately 2,033 physician visits, 212 days in the hospital and 609 prescriptions by the physician. These figures would seemingly suggest that if breast-feeding did take place exclusively for the first six months of a newborn's life then families all over the world could make huge savings throughout the child's lifetime.
The question on our mind is what is so important about breast-feeding? Since the beginning of time many authors and researchers have laid claim to the importance of exclusive breast-feeding and how it affects child and mother mortality. An expert pediatric Dr. Lanre Phillips referring to an article in an American Medical Journal [3] asserted that adults who were breast-fed 6-9 months exclusively had higher IQs than those who were breast-fed for two-three weeks less. Biologically, breast milk contains everything your baby needs, to grow and develop optimally; you don't need to be an expert to know that breast-feeding is important for babies as there is simply no better food for new-borns.
A baby's stomach at birth is about the size of an adult thumb, it can only take between 12-20mls of feed at a time. Babies require 600ml-1000ml breast milk daily, this figure helps the baby to gain weight and develop organs. Besides the fact that continuous breast-feeding helps with bonding, breast milk is completely and easily digested leaving little or no residue. Dr. Phillips clearly stated that a mother's breast milk can protect and stimulate the development of a baby's central nervous system.
Breast milk contains a long chain of polyunsaturated acids, which is not present in infant formula of cow milk. Breast-feeding should be encouraged in all societies; all over the world. It is meant to be natural and instinctive, as babies who are exclusively breast-fed for the first 6 months are 14 times likely to survive the first 6 months of their life than non-breast-fed babies (UNICEF) [4].
Breast-feeding your new-born could also reduce the risk of new-born deaths by 45% [5] as well as adding so many other benefits. Our babies need all they can get to survive, so it is instructive to know that breast-feeding is part of those needs and as a mother you must give all you can.
REFRENCES.
1) Ezeaka, C. (2013). 17% Newborns Are Exclusively Breastfed In Nigeria: National Demographic Health Survey.
2) Landau, E. (2013). CDC: Many moms start breastfeeding but drop off. CNN.com
3) Mortensen, EL. et al. (2002). "The association between duration of breastfeeding and adult intelligence: 101 reasons to breastfeed your child. JAMA 287:2365-71.
4) World Health Organization.(2014). Breastfeeding Support: World Breastfeeding Week, 1-7 August 2014. Breastfeeding. Geneva: WHO.
5) Debes, A. K., Kohli, A., Walker, N., Edmond, K., & Mullany, L. C. (2013). Time to initiation of breastfeeding and neonatal mortality and morbidity: a systematic review. BMC Public Health, 13 (Suppl 3), S19.
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