The Enugu State Council of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) has intensified its campaign on exclusive breastfeeding in order to achieve greater impact.
Reports have it that NAWOJ on Thursday took its campaign to pregnant and nursing mothers at the Uwani General Hospital, Enugu.
The event was part of its activities to mark the 2022 World Breastfeeding Week.
It was organised by the association in partnership with Reals Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
In a lecture, the company’s Business Manager, Mr Lucky Nwajei, said the benefits of breastfeeding were enormous.
Nwajei said that intensive six months exclusive breastfeeding of newborns could lower incidences of child mortality in society.
He said that feeding newborns with infant formula could be dangerous, especially with unhygienic feeding bottles.
He, therefore, advised nursing and expectant mothers to make deliberate efforts aimed at ensuring that their breasts produced enough and quality milk.
“As a company, our role is to provide support in our area of core competence through the supply of pharmaceuticals that will ensure that nursing mothers produce adequate and quality breast milk,” Nwajei said.
The pharmacist attributed lactation insufficiency in nursing mothers to the lack of certain hormones, especially prolactin in the body.
According to him, certain pharmaceuticals produced by the company from pure plant extracts have been prepared to help expectant and lactating mothers triple their prolactin level and nourish their babies.
“I appreciate NAWOJ for organising this event.
“It is a call for people to step up the breastfeeding awareness,” Nwajei said.
Also, the Deputy Director, Nursing Services in the hospital, Mrs Josephine Igweagu, described the awareness as important to nursing mothers and their babies.
“When we care for nursing mothers, we also care for their children and society,” Igweagu said.
The Chairperson of NAWOJ, Ms Ngozi Ngene, said that the awareness was intended to promote exclusive breastfeeding in the state.
Ngene also described the campaign as part of the association’s contributions toward a healthy society.