By Bisola Adeyemo
A new report by the United Nations Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) said precautionary measures of effective wearing of the clinical mask using gloves and lack of excessive body contact with a child can enable mothers with COVID-19 to breastfeed their babies.
Olumiji Oyedokun, the UNICEF Nutrition team leader said this while presenting a paper, ” 2021 World Breastfeeding week, a shared responsibility to support, breastfeeding and promote zero water campaign” in Kano on Wednesday.
Olumiji said “Breastfeeding during COVID-19, the active virus has not been detected in any breastmilk of a mother, which simply means child can be breastfed even if the mother is actively infected,” Daily post quoted him.
The UNICEF Field Officer in Kano, Mr. Micheal Banda, therefore urged communities who are ravaged by war and other serious Insecurities to create volunteer breastfeeding groups for abandoned children to reduce incidents of child mortality and child malnutrition.
However, the in-charge Field Officer, worried that in Kano, exclusive breastfeeding is only 18 percent this is coupled with poor environmental challenges, resulting in a high rate of child mortality and malnutrition.
According to him, exclusive breastfeeding from 0-6 and 6-24 months protects children from stunting and reduces possible defects in educational IQ of a child and brightens his livelihood.
“Exclusive breastfeeding from birth to 6 months and beyond contributes 30 percent of child survival indices and reduces child mortality by 13 percent,” he said.
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