The of breast milk over all other types of milk as the main food source for cannot be over-emphasized as established by numerous health and nutrition organizations. Early childhood is characterized by rapid growth, of tissues and formation of organs.
is the optimal method for feeding infants. All the nutritional needs of children are provided by breast milk in the right amounts and . In Nigeria however, young infants may not benefit from this practice as a result of poor early initiation and the use of other liquids undermining breast milk.
Therefore, the practice of exclusive breastfeeding has been recognized as a very important public health tool in preventing child morbidity and mortality. Consequently, the WHO and UNICEF passed bills that recommended exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life and subsequent introduction to complementary foods.
However, efforts to promote exclusive breastfeeding have achieved limited success and run into severe problems due to poor understanding of the several influences on the practice.
Table Of Contents
Title page……………..i
Certification………………. ii
Readers’ approval………..iii
Dedication……………….iv
Acknowledgement……..v-vi
Abstract……………….viii-ix
Table of contents…….. x-xi
List of tables…………… xii
Abbreviations…………. xiii
- Introduction……………… 1
- Definitions of terms…………… 2
- The historical context of breastfeeding……….. 4
- Exclusive breastfeeding trends around the World……… 6
- Benefits of exclusive breastfeeding to infants and mothers……. 8
- Strategies for breast feeding ………….. 10
- Socio-economic benefits of breastfeeding……….. 13
- Challenges to breastfeeding……………….. 16
- Factors that contribute to low rates of breast feeding in Adamawa State 19
- Specific Aims, current study, or objectives…………… 21
- Material and methods……………….. 23
- Introduction………………………….. 23
- Study area………………………. 23
- Sampling technique………………….. 24
- Study area visitation and pilot test……………….. 25
- Data collection……………… 25
2.6 Analytical technique ………….25
2.7 Limitations………………..27
3.0 Results ……………..26
4.0 Discussion …………………36
5.0 Conclusion ………………..43
5.1 Recommendation …………..44
References……………………46
Appendix………………50
Introduction
Background Of Study
Over several decades; there has been increasing interest in the promotion of exclusive breastfeeding as the ‘best’ feeding method for infants. If all babies in the World were breastfed exclusively, about 1.5 million lives would be saved annually. Not only would they survive but their lives would be greatly enhanced as well.
This is because breastmilk is the best food for the first six months of a baby’s life and no formula or product can ever replace it. All children benefit from being breast fed regardless of their geographical location and breastmilk is composed of all the necessary nutrients needed for babies to grow up healthy and strong.
In resource- limited areas, poor breastfeeding practices usually results in child malnutrition which is a major cause of more than half of all child deaths (Sokol et al. 2007), exclusive breastfeeding is regarded as imperative for infants’ survival.
Of the 7 million under five children who were reported dead globally in 2011, an estimated 1 million lives could have been saved by simple and accessible practices such as exclusive breastfeeding (WHO, 2012).
References
American Academy of Pediatrics, 2012. Breastfeeding and the use of human milk.Pediatrics 129: e827.
Avishai, O., 2011. Managing the lactating body: the breastfeeding project in the age of anxiety. In: Liamputtong, P, ed. Infant feeding practices: a cross cultural perspective [E-book] Springer. Ch.2.
Crowther, S.M., Reynolds, L.A. and Tansey, E.M. eds., 2009. The resurgence of breastfeeding, 1975-2000. London: The Trustee of the Welcome Trust.
Isaton, J. S. (1998) Breastfeeding: from Biology to Policy 2nd Abraham Horwitz Annual Lecture March 1998 United Nations Administrative Committee on Coordination Sub Committee on Nutrition (ACC/SCN).
Kennedy, G.E., 2005. From the ape’s dilemma to the weanling’s dilemma: early weaning and its evolutionary context. Journal of Human Evolution 48; pp. 123- 145.
Kramer, M.S., 2003. Infant growth and health outcomes associated with 3 compared with 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 78: 291-5
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