MEDIA AS SUPPORT ELEMENT FOR BREASTFEEDING

BY KEMI SOLARIN

 

The first week of August every year is set aside by the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF to observe the World Breastfeeding Week. 

In commemorating the week, global attention is drawn to the critical child survival strategy designed to promote, protect and support breastfeeding of infants and toddlers. World Breastfeeding Week is marked in more than one hundred and twenty countries to improve the health of babies around the world.

To underscore the significance of breastfeeding, the World Health Organization, WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding until a baby is six months old and continued breastfeeding with the addition of nutritious complementary foods for up to two years or beyond.

This year’s theme is: Talk to me: Breastfeeding, a three-Dimension Experience. The first and second dimensions focus on the importance of connection between mother and baby, while the third dimension focuses on support from the health care provider, friend, family member or citizen.

This year, emphasis is placed on the third dimension of support through digital media, since many young families around the world are using internet and mobile phone platforms for information and social support.
Nowadays, the internet allows us to easily find information on just about anything, breastfeeding inclusive.

There is no doubt that breastfeeding provides a complete nutritional and preventive health package for infants and young children, and is one of the most sustainable practices found on earth.

In Nigeria, a lot of efforts including legislation are in place to ensure that exclusive breastfeeding is given to the child. This includes an extension of maternity leave period from three to four months for mothers working in government organizations.

As part of efforts to encourage exclusive breastfeeding, the government now provides essential multivitamins for mothers after delivery. These enrich and enhance lactating mothers’ breast milk supply.

This year’s theme which emphasizes the digital media platform to support breastfeeding could not have come at a better time.

This is because in spite of several measures, a significant proportion of nursing mothers have remained ignorant of the medical and nutritional values of breast milk as a vital baby food or are reluctant to breastfeed their babies exclusively for six months.

Many argue that they cannot expose their breasts in public or the desire to maintain the youthful vibrancy of their full breasts, resenting the flabbiness of breasts as a result of breastfeeding to the detriment of their newborn.

The UNICEF, WHO, governments, NGOs, the media and other organizations can deploy the multimedia platforms at their disposal to address these concerns by intensifying global campaigns to encourage mothers on the need to embrace exclusive breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding is important for mothers who are interested in weight loss after delivery. It also prevents breast cancer and other diseases as well as delaying the return of menses and ovulation.

As the world commemorates the 2011 breastfeeding week, renewed efforts must be geared towards providing infants and toddlers with the nutritional need through breast milk, especially in developing economies where infant mortality rates are high.

 

For Broadcast on Friday August 5, 2011

 

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