Breastfeeding plays a very important role in the prevention of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), a research conducted by American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) reveals. To the mother, it reduces chances of getting mastitis and ovarian cancer and also helps in shedding off excessive pregnancy weight.
“To a child, breastfeeding boosts the immune system and reduces chances of asthma or allergies occurring. It also improves the IQ of the child since the milk is highly nutritious,” said Dr. Barasa of Siana Hospital in Kajiado Town. “It has a nearly perfect mix of vitamins, proteins and fats which is basically everything a baby needs to grow. It also helps the child gain the right weight,” Barasa said.
According to statistics carried out by Kajiado County Health Service from 2014, Kajiado County has improved in terms of breastfeeding by hitting almost 80 per cent of the national target compared to 60 per cent in the previous years. Breastfeeding has been faced with a lot of obstacles over the years.
Some breastfeeding mothers have tight schedules at work, where they are not given a chance to go breastfeed their babies or even carry them to work. Some institutions also allocate less time for maternity leaves. According to Dr. Barasa, there are cases of retracted nipples and difficulty in breast attachment for first time mothers in Kajiado County. A research conducted among various breastfeeding breastfeeding.
She has endeavored to breastfeed two babies; one of her own and the other one belong to her sister who abandoned her responsibilities when the child was only four-days old. After consulting a doctor and going through some tests, she was allowed to breastfeed the baby. “I could not afford a nun milk,” she said.
That informed her decision to seek doctor’s advice on breastfeeding the baby. The child is now 4 months old and very healthy. mothers in Majengo slum in Kajiado, reveals that many of them are contented with the importance of breastfeeding their babies. Exclusive breastfeeding They extend their support by advising other women to stick to exclusive breastfeeding to boost their children’s immunity.
They urge other breastfeeding mothers to share their knowledge for the benefit of their kids. One exceptional woman shared her touching story on According to health practitioners, it is essential for breastfeeding mothers to practice good hygiene. This includes taking a shower every day and cleaning their breasts and nipples before and after feeding their babies. They should also wash their hands with clean water and soap.
A dirty breast harbors germs and when an infant suckles it, there are high chances of getting fever, diarrhea, developing a gaseous abdomen, vomiting and loss of appetite. They are also advised to always change clothes that have been stained by breast milk to avoid awful smell that may distract the baby from suckling.
World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated yearly on every first week of August from 1st to 7th. This year’s edition will mark 27 years of operation for this great initiative organized and supported by World Alliance for Breastfeeding (WABA), World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) which aims at promoting exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of an infant’s life.
