The Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) have advised women to practice exclusive breast-feeding for their infants for the first six months after birth.
Spokesperson at the event organised by the council, Mrs Esther James in a paper presented to mark the World Breast Feeding Week 2015 in Abuja said exclusive breast feeding for babies was crucial to their wellbeing.
She said: “Globally only 38% of infants are exclusively breast-fed” adding that “suboptimal breast feeding contributes to 800,000 infant deaths.”
She also highlighted the benefits of breast feeding including high vitamins A and E, protein, sodium, zinc and potassium. “Breast milk also has anti-bodies which are passed from mother to child,” Mrs James added.
The theme of this year’s Breast Feeding Week celebration, “Breast feeding and work, let’s make it work” aims at supporting women to combine breast feeding and work.
“All women, working in both the formal and informal sectors should be empowered and supported to adequately combine work with breast feeding,” she said.
Chairperson of the FCT chapter of the council, Mrs Mercy Nnadie urged all employers of labour both in the government and private sector to actively facilitate and support employed women to continue breast feeding by granting nursing mothers six months maternity leave and providing crèches in office environment to enable them breast-feed their babies adequately.
