The Lagos State Government has promoted breastfeeding by enhancing the ability of stakeholders, such as policymakers, healthcare professionals, and community influencers, to promote and support the practise at all societal levels.
The State Government would continue to inform, educate, and empower sector stakeholders to offer and sustain breastfeeding-friendly conditions, according to Dr. Olusegun Ogboye, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, who said at a press briefing organised to outline planned activities of the State Government to commemorate the Y2022 World Breastfeeding Week (WBW).
He said: “The theme for the Year 2022 World Breastfeeding Week, ‘Step Up for Breastfeeding: Educate and Support’, was carefully selected as it focuses on strengthening the capacity to protect, promote and support breastfeeding across different levels of society. These actors make up the warm chain of breastfeeding support, and they include policymakers, healthcare providers and influencers in communities”.
The Permanent Secretary emphasised that exclusive breastfeeding should begin within the first hour of delivery and continue for up to six months, and that complementary feeding should begin at six months for maximum growth and development.
Among other initiatives of the Lagos State Government, Dr. Ogboye outlined some of the strategies for creating a breastfeeding-friendly environment, such as raising public awareness of the value of exclusive and continued breastfeeding with complementary feeding and making sure that caregivers are knowledgeable about information to educate patients at all healthcare service delivery points.
“Breastfeeding prevents hunger and malnutrition in all its forms and ensures food security for babies. Breast milk is readily available, pure, safe and in the right mixture that is adequate for babies”, he said.
The Permanent Secretary stressed that for maximum growth and development, exclusive breastfeeding should begin within the first hour of delivery and continue for up to six months, and supplemental feeding should begin at six months.
Dr. Ogboye outlined some of the strategies for creating a breastfeeding-friendly environment, such as raising public awareness of the value of exclusive and continued breastfeeding with complementary feeding and ensuring that caregivers are knowledgeable about information to educate patients at all healthcare service delivery points, among other initiatives of the Lagos State Government.
“I want to encourage our nursing and breastfeeding mothers to always bring the baby to the breast and let them latch themselves. It is a common practice to lean the breast forward into the baby’s mouth; this is wrong and should be avoided, as this can lead to poor attachment. Your baby needs to get a big mouthful of breast. Placing your baby with their nose level with your nipple will encourage them to open their mouth wide and attach to the breast well”, she said.
Mrs. Simisola Otuyalo, a representative of the Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget, was also present, as was Mrs. Cecilia Penny, Chairperson of the Lagos State Chapter of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN), and Adebayo Adeyelu, State Coordinator of the Lagos State Chapter of Civil Society Scaling Nutrition in Nigeria.