Paediatrician Tasks Mothers On Breast Feeding

Justice (Mrs) Suzzette Wike wife of Rivers State Governor, welcoming Rivers State Deputy Governor, Dr (Mrs) Ipalibo Banigo, at the 2016 International Women Day celebration last Tuesday in Port Harcourt
Photo: Ibioye Diama

Consultant Paediatrician,
Dr Kingston Iwowari has attributed the high rate of infections among children in recent times to inadequate breastfeeding.
Iwowari stated this during a chat with The Tide in Port Harcourt, recently.
According to him, the declining rate of breast feeding of children by mothers has contributed to the easy contraction of children-prone infections and diseases.
He explained that the benefits of breastfeeding far outweighed the inconveniences as expressed by mothers, adding that breastfeeding remained the best food for the baby at least within the first six months.
He said “it is disheartening how  mothers no longer breast feed their babies. A lot of them refused to accept that breast milk is the most nutritionally sound food for the baby and in so many ways this has been proven. Breast milk is easy to digest by the baby’s little stomach. It strengthens the baby’s natural defences, protects the baby from diseases as well as helps in brain development of the baby.”
Iwowari who condemned the recent practice of not breastfeeding babies especially outside the home by mothers said it was not good for the child’s health.
These mothers, rather than breastfeed their babies go for such liquids as lucozade boost  and others which are unhealthy for the baby of that age.
“When these children are brought to the hospital and we interview their mothers, we notice that most of these children were not well breastfed. Some mothers will tell you that there was no breastmilk in  their breast, others will say that the breastmilk could not satisfy the baby and so they had to give them other forms of milk and food and yet most of these children are allergic to these foods and that is another problem altogether.”

Lady Godknows Ogbulu