Fewer babies getting benefits of exclusive breastfeeding – experts
By George.Kebaso, August 1, 2023Health experts have raised concern about the rising number of babies being introduced to bottle-feeding at an early stage.
Experts say exclusive breastfeeding prevents hospital admissions for babies due to respiratory tract infections, and diarrhoea among other diseases.
The Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) 2022 shows that neonatal mortality performance for infants dropped by one per cent from 22/1,000 live births in 2014 to 21/1,000 live births in 2022. This is within the infant’s first 28 days.
“We are not going to meet our Sustainable Development Goal Target 3.2 if this trajectory doesn’t change,” said Stephen Mwangi, Nutrition International’s Senior Programme Officer yesterday during a media sensitisation workshop.
The SDG Target is instrumental in newborn and child mortality indicating that by 2030, the world should end preventable deaths of newborns and children under five years of age.
Mwangi expressed concern that the gradual rise in the number of women who are opting for bottle feeding erodes some of the gains made in the past in promoting exclusive breastfeeding.
The KDHS reports show that bottle feeding had risen by 12 per cent in 2022 to 34 per cent from 22 per cent in 2014.
“From available data, many more infants are not benefitting from exclusive breastfeeding, yet we know the benefits,” he said, noting that nutrition is a fundamental right for every person.
Policy gaps
Some of the benefits of breastfeeding the baby include ingesting antibodies that protect against diseases like diarrhoea and respiratory infections.
“Breast milk perfectly covers all babies’ nutrient needs for the first six months and is easy to digest and absorb,” said Dr Veronica Kirogo, the Director and Head of Nutrition and Dietetics Services at the Ministry of Health.
She called on stakeholders to address the gaps that exist in policy to ensure the gains made in exclusive breastfeeding of infants are not eroded.