Dr Chinagozi Adindu, Executive Secretary, Abia Primary Health Care Development Agency, has warned nursing mothers against bottle-feeding their babies, as it discourages heathy child development.
Adindu gave the warning in an interview with newsmen on Friday in Umuahia, in commemoration of this year’s World Breastfeeding Week.
He charged the mothers to ensure proper breastfeeding of their children, because of its many advantages.
“In all our 722 facilities in the state, when mothers come for their ante-natal or post-natal, we usually use that opportunity to educate them on the need for proper breastfeeding.
“We dissuade them from bottle-feeding their babies. In fact, we confiscate such things if they come to us with the bottles.”
Adindu highlighted the importance of breastfeeding, saying, “it is nutritionally sound and helps the baby to develop very well.”
According to him, breastfeeding helps to strengthen the baby’s immunity against diseases as well as its cognitive development.
The medical doctor noted that proper breastfeeding would also help the mother to lose weight, child spacing, maternal bonding and is cheaper.
In commemorating the week, Adindu said that the agency had held town hall meetings, sensitisation meetings, road walk, as well as engage the media to create awareness on the need for mothers to breastfeed their children.
World Breastfeeding Week is held annually in the first week of August.
