Tema-Ghana, May 7, CDA Consult – Mr Samuel Atuahene Antwi, Nutritionist for the Tema Metropolitan Health Directorate, has encouraged breastfeeding women to practice excellent personal cleanliness and live a healthy lifestyle to protect their infant.
He urged moms to take care of their bodies by washing their hands before breastfeeding and showering on a regular basis to keep their newborns healthy.
Mr. Antwi spoke during the weekly “Your Health! Our Collective Responsibility,” a Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Office initiative aimed at promoting health-related communication and providing a platform for health information dissemination in order to influence personal health choices through improved health literacy.
The Ghana News Agency’s Tema Regional Office established the public health advocacy platform “Your Health! Our Collective Responsibility” to investigate the elements of four health communication approaches: informing, instructing, persuading, and urging.
“Breastfeeding in babies must be done exclusively from 0-6 months, which was one of the single most important child’s inventions that aimed at the child’s survival,” he explained.
The Nutritionist emphasized the importance of breastfeeding moms maintaining personal cleanliness or taking care of their bodies on a regular basis after having a baby in order to keep both the infant and the body healthy.
He also stated that there is no need to clean the breasts or nipples before nursing, which some moms use to avoid breastfeeding their babies when they identify with handling a dirty item or thing.
“As a mother, maintaining a hygienic lifestyle is extremely important because it helps prevent the child from becoming infected; therefore, every breastfeeding mother must thoroughly wash their hands before and after touching a dirty surface or changing a baby’s nappy,” he said.
Mr. Antwi further stated that the breast, particularly the nipple area, has natural oils produced by the Montgomery glands, which are located on the dark-colored circular area known as areolae. Because of its anti-inflammatory characteristics, this oil preserves the nipple and skin while breastfeeding.
Mr. Antwi further stated that the breast, particularly the nipple area, has natural oils produced by the Montgomery glands, which are located on the dark-coloured circular area known as areolae. Because of its anti-inflammatory characteristics, this oil preserves the nipple and skin while breastfeeding.
Despite the fact that breastfeeding may be done in any situation, he recommended all breastfeeding moms to make regular bathing a habit in order to keep the body clean, especially the breasts and nipples.
As a result, a woman can nurse her infant even if she is covered in dirt or sweat.
Every year during the second week of May, Child Health Promotion Week is observed.
“The Big Catch-up: Reaching Out to the Unreached” is the theme for the 2023 commemoration.
Mr. Francis Ameyibor, Regional Manager of Ghana News Agency Tema, stated that a patient has the right to respectful treatment provided by qualified professionals and charged the media with educating patients on these rights and duties.
He stated that a patient has the right to know the names of the medical personnel who are caring for him or her.
“A patient has a right to privacy regarding his or her medical condition.” Only those who need to know about a patient’s care and treatment should be informed.”
Mr. Ameyibor explained that the Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Office launched the health advocacy platform “Your Health, Our Collective Responsibility” in order to provide basic information on a patient’s rights and responsibilities while also creating a conducive environment for health professionals to discuss health issues.
He noted that it is the responsibility of patients to also ask their medical professional to attend to their questions, follow directions, accept results, observe facility laws and regulations, show respect and thoughtfulness, and meet financial commitments.
