KNOW MUCH ABOUT BREASTFEEDING

From an article published by United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, Ghana, (UNICEF Ghana), ‘Delayed breastfeeding increases the risk of new-born deaths by up to 80%’. More so, mixed feeding within the first six months of life also increases the risk of new-born deaths. Meanwhile, ‘children that are exclusively breastfed are 14 times likely to survive the first six months of life than the non-breastfed children’. It is an issue of national interest and public health concern, therefore I deemed it necessary to blog on this topic. Exclusive breastfeeding means feeding of a baby solely on human breast milk day and night for the first six (6) months of life without adding any other food or water, except prescribed medication. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF EXCLUSIVE BREASTFEEDING TO THE CHILD? The first breast milk (colostrum) gives the child immunity. The colostrum contains antibodies which protects the newborn from infections of the throat, lungs and intest...