When not to breastfeed your baby
World Breastfeeding Week is held annually between August 1 to 7, to make young mothers aware of the benefits of breastfeeding which has long been considered to be the best nutrition for a newborn baby.
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The annual event is coordinated by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA), a global network of individuals and organisations concerned with the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding worldwide.
Relevant to the celebration is the WHO/UNICEF Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding, to improve child health through optimal feeding.
Over 120 countries across the world get involved in the celebration, and this year’s focus falls on breastfeeding in relation to sustainability.
The week-long event is about working together for the common good of all, on the theme: “Sustaining Breastfeeding Together.” As part of the celebration, the WHO, along with UNICEF and other partners, will call on advocates and activists, decision makers and celebrants to forge new and purposeful partnerships.
When not to feed
Even though it is recommended that newborn babies are breastfed until they are weaned as a mother’s milk boosts the immune system of a baby and controls infections, yet there are situations when mothers are forbidden from breastfeeding.
Smoking, drugs, and alcohol are strictly forbidden for lactating mothers. If a woman is an addict and is habituated to taking drugs such as cocaine, Phencyclidine (PCP), heroin, marijuana and so on, she is not supposed to breastfeed her child as these substances may enter the newborn’s body through the milk. If the mother has consumed alcohol, she must wait for at least two hours for the alcohol to clear from her system before she can breastfeed her child.
Also, in case, a mother is diagnosed with HIV, she is advised not to breastfeed her baby. Not only does the mother risk passing on the HIV virus to the baby, the antiretroviral medications that the former might be taking can also enter into the blood stream of the newborn, risking his/her health.
Similarly, mothers who are suffering from cancer and are undergoing chemotherapy medications are also advised to refrain from breastfeeding their children. Cancer-killing drugs often damage existing cells and reduce cell growth which can be detrimental to the baby if he/she were to ingest the same along with the mother’s milk. Same goes for mothers who are undergoing radiation therapy, especially if it is close to their breast area.
Additionally, a mother with tuberculosis that has not been brought under control, is advised not to engage in breastfeeding. The same goes for mothers infected with human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I or type II.
Mothers are told to take extra precaution while feeding babies who are under three weeks old because they are yet to develop a resistant immune system and hence they are the most vulnerable to infections. For example, if a mother is suffering from flu, it is best that she stops breastfeeding for a while since her condition could be a contagious one.
Apart from the above-mentioned exceptions, a mother should not have an excuse to avoid breastfeeding. Mothers should also continue breastfeeding their newborns even when they are back to work from their maternity leave.
Exclusive breastfeeding
The Ghana Child Health Policy promotes breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding from birth to 6 months. Exclusive breastfeeding means that the infant is breastfed and given no other solids or liquids, including water, however, drops of vitamins, minerals or medicines, are allowed, when medically indicated.
This policy is in line with the National Breastfeeding Policy 17 and recognises the ‘International Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes’. Policies on breastfeeding and the use and promotion of breast milk substitutes are outlined in the National Breastfeeding Policy and ‘Breastfeeding Promotion Regulations, Legislative Instrument 1667’, enacted by Parliament in May 2000.
The child health programme also supports and encourages monitoring of this legislation in collaboration with the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA).
Colostrum, the yellowish, sticky breast milk produced at the end of pregnancy, is recommended by WHO as the perfect food for the newborn, and feeding should be initiated within the first hour after birth.
Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended up to six months of age, with continued breastfeeding along with appropriate complementary foods up to two years of age or beyond.
Many health groups, such as the WHO and UNICEF, support six months of exclusive breastfeeding and continued partial breastfeeding for extended periods.
Benefits
Breastmilk offers benefits for both mother and baby. It is easy for the baby to digest, which promotes more frequent eating due to faster digestion.
It may decrease risk of diabetes and celiac disease for babies.
Breastfeeding promotes better uterine shrinkage, decreased risk of breast cancer, and decreased risk of postpartum depression for mothers.
It may also be a bonding experience for mother and child, and can be less expensive than infant formula.
Controversially, decreased risk of obesity in adulthood and improved cognitive development have been mooted.
The Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in May 2015 expressed specific concerns about the decline of breastfeeding rates between 2008 and 2011 and inadequate monitoring of the Breastfeeding Promotion Regulation 2000 (BPR 2000) and thus, recommended Ghana to “continue the promotion of exclusive breastfeeding for six months with appropriate introduction of infant and diet thereafter, aimed at reducing under-five mortality”, and strengthen the monitoring of implementation of the BPR by implementing a deterrent sanctioning system and ensuring that the FDA is committed to enforcing the BPR.
The report highlighted the declining trend in breastfeeding rates, particularly the exclusive breastfeeding rate for under six months (63 per cent in 2008 to 45.7 per cent in 2011) and early initiation of breastfeeding (52 per cent in 2008 to 45 per cent in 2011). This situation, it said, was closely connected with the inadequate funding to implement the policies and action plans on Child Health and Nutrition.
Conclusion
Breastfeeding is the normal way of providing young infants with the nutrients they need for healthy growth and development. Virtually all mothers can breastfeed, provided they have accurate information, and the support of their family, the healthcare system and the society at large.