Exclusive breastfeeding boosts immunity – Expert

The medical personnel in charge of growth monitoring in the Jahi 1 Health Centre, Abuja, Daniel Ajuma Mary, said exclusive breastfeeding of babies boosts their immune system, and keeps them in proper good health.

According to him, when babies are subjected to exclusive breastfeeding between the ages of 0 to 6 months, they thrive in situations that are capable of diminishing the health of babies who did not get the same treatment.

“Sickness, disease or infection can hardly stay in their body and hey hardly fall sick” she said.

“If you give birth to a child, you are supposed to breastfeed the child up to 6 months before you introduce food into their body. The benefit is that, when a child is treated very well with exclusive breast feeding, you will see the difference in their behaviour and appearance. They will look very plump and healthy having good weight. Their Intelligence Quotient will be overwhelming” she said.

Also speaking on child’s behavioural attitude, she said “No matter how healthy a baby appears while being fed with food and water when the baby is supposed to be solely  breastfed between 0 and 6months of age, there is the tendency that the behaviour of the child, when grown, might be affected while some experience redundant brain. It is strictly not advisable for mothers to feed their babies with food and water before they exceed 6 months of age, except in rare case like HIV infected mother, who is strictly advised on when to breastfeed the baby and when not to” she said.

“For some mothers, who might say their breast milk is not enough for their baby because their breasts are not secreting enough milk, we educate and advice them on what to do and encourage them to try their best to keep up to the 6 months of exclusive breast feeding as it will be very beneficial to the child” she said.

She also said “Some mothers don’t know the importance of this and, that is why we are educating them.  We go out for outreaches, organise seminars, educate them on personal hygiene and give them general health talk”.