Katsina State first lady, Hajiya Zakiyya Masari, has tasked nursing mothers in the state to ensure exclusive breastfeeding for their new born babies.
The governor’s wife made the statement on Thursday, in Mashi Local Government Area (LGA) during the launching of the ‘Stronger with Breast Milk Only” campaign, as part of the celebration of 2022 World Breastfeeding Week.
The theme of this year’s celebration is, “Step up for Breastfeeding – Educate and Support.”
Zakiyya, represented by the permanent Secretary, Ministry for lands and survey, Hajiya Halima Othman, said the celebration came at the right time.
“We must understand the evidence-based recommendations for breastfeeding such as the fact that exclusive breastfeeding should be practised for the first 6 months of life.
”This should be followed by continued breastfeeding with appropriate complementary foods for up to 2 years or beyond.
“All mothers should be supported to initiate breastfeeding as soon as possible after birth, within the first hour after delivery and should receive practical support to enable them to establish breastfeeding.
“We must always remember that breastfeeding is not only important to the child, but also important to the mother, her family and the society at large,” she said.
The Katsina first lady urged that all community leaders and government sectors must include women in system transformations to ensure breastfeeding-friendly communities and workplaces respectively.
“For working women, this support comes in the form of maternity leaves and creches for their convenience.
“Even Islamically, mothers are expected to breastfeed their offsprings for two whole years. I believe that every other religion across the state encourages the act of breastfeeding.
“Let us also frown at harmful breastfeeding practices, such as giving prelacteal feeds, expressing the first milk and pouring away, giving pre goat/cow milk while able to breastfeed, giving traditional concoction and bottle feeding.
“And also mixed feeding in the first 6 months applying traditional herbs to breast as breast cleansing agent and maternal deprivation. I hope my message appeals to the right audience as a God given opportunity, ” she said.
In his remarks, the Executive Secretary, Katsina State Primary Health Care Agency, Dr Shamsudeen Yahaya, said human breast milk is 80 per cent water.
“Especially the first milk sucked in each feed. So, whenever the mother feels her baby is thirsty she can breastfeed.
”Babies do not need water before they are six months old, even in a hot climate.
“It is important to know evidence has shown that this feeding practice has been shown to significantly reduce mortality from two major childhood killer diseases, diarrhea and acute respiratory infections.
“Breastfed children have at least six times greater chance of survival in the early months than non-breastfed children,” Yahaya said.
Yahaya, who was represented by the Director of Primary Health Care (PHC) of the agency, Dr Nafisa Sani, said that exclusively breastfed children are 14 times less likely to die in the first six months than a non-breastfed child.
In his remarks, the District Head of Mashi and Iyan Katsina, Alhaji Kabir Aminu, advised the government to establish breast banks, if it is possible, so that orphaned children can be supported.
While saying newborn babies whose mothers die immediately after birth, hardly enjoy such exclusive breastfeeding, Aminu commended the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the state’s PHCA for organizing the event.