Exclusive breastfeeding: Concerned mothers, others urge compliance in Bauchi
Some concerned mothers and other residents of Bauchi state have urged nursing mothers to ensure compliance to the six months exclusive breastfeeding been championed by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
Mrs Asabe Titus, Hajiya Zainab Audi, Malama and Zuwaira Zakir of Wuntin Dada and Miri communities shared their experience about how they have benefited from the six months practice of exclusive breastfeeding.
According to them, as a result of feeding their children exclusively for six months with breast milk, they are looking healthy with no traces of sickness.
Asabe Titus, who is nursing a four months old baby, promised to ensure she sustained feeding the baby with breast milk only up to six months in order to keep the baby healthy.
On their parts, Zainab Audi and Zuwaira Zakir said they have been practicing exclusive breastfeeding for their four and three months babies, because they have benefitted from doing so in the past and would continue because they spend less money on treatment of sickness.
They encouraged other Women to join in ensuring that they practice exclusive breastfeeding in order to have healthy children and avoid cases of malnutrition.
At Wuntin Dada and Miri Primary Healthcare centers, nursing mothers were seen receiving health tips from health workers, with emphasis on exclusive breastfeeding practice and immunization for the babies.
Also, a father, Mr Gambo Bilyamin who spoke about the importance of exclusive breastfeeding said, compliance to the breastfeeding practice by his wife has really reduced the rate of sickness among his last three children.
According to him, the first son who was not exposed to the six months exclusive breastfeeding usually fell sick, thereby costing him a lot.
Bilyamin narrated that, after realizing the health benefits of exclusive breastfeeding, he started focusing attention to providing the food items that could that will balance the diet for his wife during pregnancy and lactation in order to have enough breast milk to feed the baby.
He said instead of spending money on substitute food for the baby like he used to do in the past, he is now focused on food items that are capable of boosting his wife’s breast milk.
“If I don’t have enough money to get expensive food items, I buy soya beans, groundnut, and millet that we can use to make kunu for my wife in order to produce good milk for the child”, he said.
“M wife and the child are both looking healthy because of what they are eating, the child hardly fall sick, even if he does, it is going to mild. If you see my wife and the baby at the hospital, they may have gone there for immunization”, he stated.
Experts say, children exclusively breastfed stand a better chance of survival and good living.
Exclusive breastfeeding means an infant receives only breast milk, with no other liquids or solids, for the first six months of life, except medications, vitamins, or mineral drops/syrups, or oral rehydration solution if needed.
While addressing press conference to mark the 2025 World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) recently, Philomena Irene, Nutrition Specialist at the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Bauchi Filed office, described exclusive breastfeeding as the first immunization to a baby which is safe, affordable and environmentally- -friendly.
She however stated that there was a need to bridge the gap in the Bauchi Field Office and the entire Northern part of the Country, where compliance required improvement to ensure a healthy society.
Also speaking, the Chief of Field office, UNICEF Bauchi, Dr. Nuzhat Rafique appealed to Journalists as change agents, to continue to use their writing skills to change the perception of the people towards the practice of exclusive breastfeeding to improve the well-being of the children.
Dr. Rafique who called on the Bauchi state government to approve six months fully remunerated maternity leave for nursing mothers, emphasized that exclusive breastfeeding protects the child’s antibodies.
She had expressed concern over the high number of malnourished children in the state, stressing that fighting malnutrition starts with ensuring that the child is exclusively breastfed for 6 months.
A paediatric nurse at one of the private hospitals in Bauchi, Mrs Unice Joseph, described exclusive breastfeeding as the best antidote to child early sicknesses, saying that the breast milk has the required nutrients for children’s protection.
Unice said exclusive breastfeeding when practiced, is going to make the baby grow up well nourished because every part of the body develop normal including the brain.
She enjoined mothers and fathers who have the understanding of the benefits attached to exclusive breastfeeding to join in the campaign for wider compliance.
