ASABA/Nigeria: In its determination to take the campaign for increased awareness on Infant and Young Child Feeding Practices particularly among nursing mothers, the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has conducted a sensitization programme for over 300 youths and adolescents in the three UNICEF focus LGAs in the State.
The objective of the community dialogue, according to the organisers, is to make the youth and adolescent change agents in the global efforts to arouse Infant and Young Child Feeding Practices and to increased knowledge about breastfeeding as well as breast milk substitutes and related products.
The “Community Dialogue with Youths and Adolescent”, which is hinged on Infants and Young Child Feeding Practices, was organised by Delta State Primary Health Care Development Agency and Delta State Ministry of Information in collaboration with the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) River Field Office, and held in three local government areas of the state, including Ethiope West, Ika North-East and Oshimili North.
Delivering a lecture on Infants and Young Child Feeding Practices, one of the UNICEF’s resource persons, Mrs Evelyn Koru, noted that infant mortality linked to poor feeding practices and malnutrition was on the increase in various communities in the state, stressing the essence of the programme was to create greater awareness on attitudinal change on the subject in order to reduce infant mortality rate across the state.
She urged the young people to join the campaign by encouraging those around them to imbibe the culture of proper young infant and child feeding practices and while, at the same time, arming themselves for their parental roles in future.
She added also that, the nutrition of a child begins from pregnancy and advised expectant mothers to feed nutritiously in order to enhance the development of the baby.
She stressed the importance of exclusive breastfeeding, Mrs Koru, said that a baby should be given breast milk without other food or water for a period of six months before introducing other complementary food, emphasizing that colostrums, which is the first breast milk expressed from the breast contains antibodies which protects the baby against diseases.
Highlighting the benefits of breastfeeding, she noted that “breast milk is a balanced diet for infants, which enhances growth and development adequately and prevents stunting”, adding that “suckling prevents engorgement (inflammation or blisters) and reduces the risk of obesity on the part of the lactating mother as well as creates bonding between the mother and baby.”
Moreover, babies who were not adequately breastfed have a high risk of death, greater risk of heart disease, cancer, asthma and dental decay later in life, she further said.
While speaking, Mrs Evelyn Koru warned parents against the dangers of mixed feeding, pointing out that it makes the baby to be prone to falling ill often, especially with diarrhea and more likely to be malnourished.
Commenting, the Head of Personnel Management (HPM) Oshimili North Local Government Area, Mrs Blessing C. Bielonwu, stressed the need for people to feed nutritiously, pointing out that proper feeding properly is not really expensive, noting that vegetables and crayfish could be useful in absence of fish and meat, adding that those who do not feed well often visit the hospital.
Earlier, the Acting Permanent Secretary in the state Ministry of Information, Mr Pual Osahor, similarly called on the participants to take advantage of various programmes organized in the state to equip them for better tomorrow.
