• Breast feeding is a family affair. Many men mistakenly believe that breastfeeding is strictly confined to women and babies. Men often see their role as that of a passive or neutral observer who have little influence on the process. Many fathers of breastfed babies tend to feel excluded from the intimacy of the nursing dad. But fathers actually have tremendous potential to facilitate or undermine the success of breastfeeding. Understanding the importance of their role is the first step in equipping fathers to help their breastfeeding partners.
This year’s World Breastfeeding Week themed “Breastfeeding: a winning goal for life” by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action, focused on activities that lay emphasis on protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding of infants and young children.
breasRecognising the impact of nutrition and breastfeeding for mothers and infants, Society for Family Health delivers services in local communities and facilities across Nigeria, the Expanded Social Marketing Project in Nigeria (ESMPIN) communicated the importance of nutrition, exclusive breastfeeding and recently integrated community case management of childhood illnesses (diarrhea, malaria and pneumonia) in rural and urban areas specifically targeting the vulnerable.
ESMPIN also uses immunization clinic days to educate mothers and caregivers on the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding. SFH’s Maternal and Neonatal Health project also supports exclusive breastfeeding in Gombe and Adamawa states, training traditional birth attendants and community volunteers to provide messages to women and families in communities all over the states.
Other benefits of breastfeeding include promotion of emotional health and bonding between the mother and child; it is very cost effective as it is free hence families save costs (on baby food); it promotes post partum weight loss and child spacing. In addition, breast fed infants are scientifically proven to have a higher I.Q which impact on all round achievement later in life. Society for Family Health continues to promote, support and protect policies and values that prioritise the health of infants and mothers in Nigeria.
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