by SAUMU MWALIMU
A couple show off their twins. Breastfeeding, experts argue, helps to build a solid bond between mother and child. PHOTO/The Citizen file photo
Low education on proper nutrition causes most mothers to introduce extra food to babies aged less than six months contrary to what nutritionists recommend.
Dar es Salaam. Tanzania is doing well in breast-feeding as some 97 per cent of mothers adhere to the practice. But only 50 per cent of these mothers properly breast-feed their children.
Low education on proper nutrition causes most mothers to introduce extra food to babies aged less than six months contrary to what nutritionists recommend.
With 42 per cent of children in Tanzania being stunted, breast-feeding is vital for child’s physical and psychological development.
Health experts suggest that mother’s milk is the best for babies, particularly in the first six months of their lives. During this period mother’s milk contains all the required nutrients and is natural and safe from environmental contamination. It also helps defend a baby against infections, prevents allergies, and protects against a number of chronic conditions.
But also, mother’s milk is easily digested and that makes a baby healthy because the body consumes all nutrients contained in the milk. Not only have that but also breast feeding helps to create and strengthen mutual relations between a mother and a child. Furthermore, a child’s IQ is also highly made from exclusive breast-feeding.
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