MOTHERS URGED TO PRACTICE EXCLUSIVE BREAST FEEDING (Daily Graphic Saturday November 1, 2008 PAGE 11)

The Upper East Regional Director of Health Services, Dr John Koku Awoonor-Williams, has advised nursing mothers to co-operate with health personnel to ensure the success of the exclusive breast feeding policy, as required by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
According to him, breast milk contained all the nutrients needed for growth and development during the first months of life.
He also said apart from promoting the health of infants, breast feeding strengthened the bond of love between mother and child.
Speaking at the launch of the Upper East Regional Breast Feeding Week at Zebilla in the Bawku West District, Dr Awoonor-Williams said “Exclusive breast feeding for the first six months ensures that the infant receives the maximum health and nutritional benefits from breast milk”.
He also said breast milk strengthened the development of the infant’s defence system and reduced the risk of many common childhood illnesses and acute respiratory tract infections.
He commended organisations such as the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Ghana Red Cross Society and the United Nations Populations Fund (UNFPA) for collaborating with the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to encourage exclusive breast feeding among nursing mothers.
In an address read on his behalf, the Regional Minister, Mr Alhassan Samari, indicated that the region had designated 31 health facilities in the region as ‘Baby Friendly’, making it the region with the highest number of the facility in the country.
He pointed out that the ‘Baby-friendly’ health facilities provide quality health care service to enhance the health of babies and nursing mothers.
He, however, indicated that despite the availability of these facilities some misconception about the benefits of exclusive breast feeding does not encourage some nursing mothers to practice the system.
Mr Samari, therefore, entreated all municipal and district assemblies to support programmes to promote exclusive breast feeding to meet the World Health Organisation’s (WHO’s) recommendation that requires mothers to exclusively breast feed their children for the first six months of life.
According to him failure of mothers to offer the first yellowish breast milk to babies soon after delivery, and rather administer water and in some cases herbs to babies was not a healthy practice.