The Medical Director, General Hospital, Badagry, Dr. Olatunde Bakare, has advised nursing mothers to breastfeed their children regularly.
He gave the advice at an event to mark the World Breastfeeding Week Celebration, on Friday in Badagry, Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the theme of the event was, ‘Enable Breastfeeding, Making a Difference for Working Parents’.
The Director said that breast milk is vital for babies to grow healthy.
He said, “If you want your children to grow healthy and smart, then feed your children only with breast milk.
“Research has shown that children fed with breast milk grow healthier, stronger and more intelligent.”
Bakare also urged female residents of Badagry, to visit the general hospital for their antenatal clinics.
He said the Lagos State Government had offered free treatment for pregnant women from the antenatal period to delivery.
“Even a caesarian section is free and this is part of the relief by the Federal Government to ease the effects of the fuel subsidy removal,” he said.
The Chief Matron of the hospital, Mrs. Olayinka Alabi, said the World Health Organisation started World Breastfeeding Week in 1992.
She said that the programme began when it was found that women were not breastfeeding their babies.
The chief matron said that the 2023 programme was more of a request to employers of labour, to let women breastfeed their babies in a comfortable, friendly environment.
Alabi said that according to WHO’s record, over 44 per cent of women are not breastfeeding their babies often and exclusively.
She said that babies should be breastfed only from their birth to six months before they are given other foods.
She said, “Breastfeeding creates a special bond between mothers and babies.”
The Apex Nurse of the hospital, Mrs OpeOluwa Amu, in her final remarks, asked nursing mothers to share the message of breastfeeding, saying that babies should be breastfed for two years.
-by NAN
