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Health experts have urged mothers to practise exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a child’s life and continue breastfeeding alongside appropriate complementary foods up to two years and beyond, citing its lifelong health and developmental benefits.
The experts spoke during a World Breastfeeding Week community outreach organised by the Health Writers Association of Nigeria (HEWAN) in partnership with Lagos State Health District 11 at Majidun Primary Health Centre, Ikorodu.
Chief Nursing Officer of Majidun PHC, Nurse Janet Otah, said exclusive breastfeeding remains one of the most effective ways to give children a healthy start in life, stressing that breast 🥛 contains all the nutrients and water required by babies during their first six months.
Otah explained that exclusive breastfeeding protects infants against infections, strengthens their immune systems, supports healthy growth and brain development, and strengthens the emotional bond between mothers and their babies.
She also highlighted benefits to mothers, noting that breastfeeding helps the uterus contract after delivery, reduces postpartum bleeding and lowers the risk of breast and ovarian cancers. She added that breastfeeding could also serve as a natural method of family planning when practised under recommended conditions.
According to her, breastfeeding should begin as early as possible after birth to enable newborns receive colostrum, the first breast milk, which provides important protection against infections.
Otah, however, stressed that exclusive breastfeeding should end at six months, after which nutritious complementary foods should be introduced while breastfeeding continues until two years and beyond.
She commended the Lagos State Government for its six-month maternity leave policy, saying it would help working mothers sustain exclusive breastfeeding during the critical early months of a child’s life.
The Medical Officer of Health, Ikorodu West Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Dr. Opeyemi Osunyomi, described breast milk as one of the greatest gifts a mother can give her child, urging mothers not to discard colostrum, which she described as a baby’s “first natural vaccine.”
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Osunyomi said colostrum is rich in antibodies and nutrients that help protect newborns against infections before they receive routine immunisations. She also stressed the importance of maternal nutrition, advising mothers to eat balanced meals using affordable, locally available foods including fish, eggs, vegetables, fruits and other nutritious staples.
She cautioned pregnant and breastfeeding women against self-medication and unverified herbal remedies, urging them to seek professional medical advice whenever they fall ill.
President, HEWAN, Mrs. Vivian Ihechu, said breastfeeding was a sustainable public health intervention capable of reducing infant illnesses, lowering healthcare costs and promoting healthier families.
Ihechu urged mothers to initiate breastfeeding within the first hour of birth and practise exclusive breastfeeding for six months without water, teas or herbal preparations. She also encouraged mothers to continue breastfeeding alongside complementary feeding up to two years and beyond.
She said HEWAN was committed to providing mothers with practical breastfeeding information while supporting community-based efforts to improve maternal and child health.
Also speaking, Co-Founder of She Arises Foundation, Mrs. Ifeoma Ibe, said breastfeeding goes beyond nutrition, describing it as a powerful tool for strengthening the emotional and psychological bond between mother and child.
Ibe encouraged mothers to maintain eye contact, cuddle, talk to and show affection to their babies during breastfeeding, stressing that such interactions promote security and emotional attachment.
She urged mothers facing breastfeeding challenges to seek support from healthcare professionals, experienced mothers and trusted family members rather than suffer in silence.
