The Wife of the Governor of Enugu State, Mrs. Monica Ugwuanyi has called on parents and wives of local government chairmen to join in the campaign for exclusive breastfeeding of children.
Ugwuanyi made the call during a message to commemorate this year’s World Breastfeeding Week, tagged: “Supporting breastfeeding for a healthier planet.”
She listed the negative consequences of inadequate breastfeeding to include chronic diseases, malnutrition, and population vulnerability to diseases, among others.
She said: “Babies should be introduced to breastfeeding within the first hour of life. They should be placed on exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life; then after which introduced to solid food as complementary feeding and continuous breastfeeding for two years of age or beyond.
“Breast milk contains antibodies that help babies fight viruses and bacteria, lowers their risk of having asthma or allergies, provides the ideal nutrition for the babies and makes them smarter. Babies who are exclusively breastfed for six months without a formula have fewer ear infections, respiratory illness and diarrhea.
“Breast milk is a natural, renewable food that is environmentally safe and green because it is produced and delivered to the consumer without pollution, packaging or waste. We need to respect nature, by doing first thing, first! Breast milk is the first food that we consume in life and it is a critical part of sustainable food system.”
