The
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has advised mothers to embrace six
months exclusive breastfeeding of newborns for optimal child growth and
development.
Dr
Zakari Adam, the Chief of Field Office, UNICEF Kaduna, gave the advice on
Wednesday in Akwanga at the opening of a six-day capacity building for 32
participants on Community Infant and Young Child Feeding Counseling package.
The
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the six-days training was sponsored
by UNICEF in collaboration with Nasarawa State Primary Health Care Development
Agency in which participants were selected from the agency.
Adam
said that the training was aimed at equipping nutritional health personnel with
skills for effective healthcare service delivery.
He
said that exclusive breast feeding was key to the development of the child,
adding that it establishes early relationship between the mother, the family
and the nation at large.
Adam
explained that exclusive breastfeeding was good for the health of the new born
babies, hence the need for mothers to feed their children exclusively for the
first six months of life.
“Exclusive
breastfeeding is very important for every newborn.
“Cow
milk is intended for cow child and human milk is intended for their children,
so human breast feeding is intended for children.
“It
is critical to ensure that our children are fed exclusively on breast for six
months in the interest of their heath,” he said.
Adam
also disclosed that the organisation had provided the Ready to Use Therapeutic
Food (RUTF) to malnourished children in the state free of charge.
He
noted that the support was to improve on the health status of the children.
He
commended the health workers of the area for being up and doing to ensure that
the health and standards of living of children is improved.
The
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Taru Murindi and Ms Chinwe Ezeife,
UNICEF WASH and Nutritiona specialists, among others resource persons, also mad
presentations during the training.