Exclusive Breastfeeding Increases Children’s Brain Development – Gynaecologist
By Fatima Mohammed
A gynaecologist with the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu, Dr Emeka Iloghalu, has said that six months of exclusive breastfeeding helps the brain development of children.
Iloghalu, who stated this during a chat with newsmen in Enugu on Wednesday, maintained that aside this, exclusive breastfeeding also promotes good relationship between mother and child.
He also affirmed that exclusive breastfeeding helps to build children’s immunity so that the child would not get sick easily.
Iloghalu lamented that Nigeria records 157 deaths out of every 1,000 births.
He called on well-to-do Nigerians to embark on programmes that would reduce high rate of maternal mortality instead of waiting for government to do everything.
The medical practitioner who is also a consultant, said that he would soon organize free maternity and newborn health education, free immunization, sharing of mosquito nets and other activities.
He, however, informed that the programme would be strictly for pregnant mothers and children under the age of five years.
World Health Organisation (WHO), had asserted that exclusive Breastfeeding protects the child against diarrhoea and common childhood illnesses such as pneumonia, and may also have longer-term health benefits for the mother and child, such as reducing the risk of overweight and obesity in childhood and adolescence.
“Exclusive breastfeeding means that the infant receives only breast milk. No other liquids or solids are given – not even water – with the exception of oral rehydration solution, or drops/syrups of vitamins, minerals or medicines.”
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