Team-Ghana, Oct. 20 – The Tema Metropolitan Health Directorate’s nutritionist, Mr. Samuel Atuahene Antwi, has tasked nurses and midwives to act as breastfeeding moms’ first nutrition coaches. Complete breastfeeding is essential to the life of the infant.
He noted that nurses needed to advise nursing moms to follow the guidelines for breastfeeding in order to shield the child from various short- and long-term illnesses and disorders like obesity, type 1 diabetes, and asthma.
At the TMA Maternity and Child Health Clinic at Tema Community One, Mr. Atuahene Antwi said that breastfeeding benefits both mother and child during his conversations with nurses and a few nursing mothers.
The Tema Metro Health Directorate Nutritionist emphasised that in addition to the health benefits of nursing for the first month, women who breastfeed also had a lower risk of ovarian cancer, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, breast cancer, and other cancers.
He explained that since breast milk is free and readily available, breastfeeding saves mothers money and helps the baby avoid infections because it comes directly from the breast.
According to studies, the substances in fake baby foods were not intended for use by human children, Mr. Atuahene Antwi stated. As a result, they are not suited for babies’ digestive systems and can cause a lot of adverse reactions when consumed by infants.
He went on to say that although though babies do not absorb any nutrients from fake foods, they miss out on the possible health benefits of exclusive nursing, some women insist on including them in their baby’s diet because they feel they can afford it.
He also went into detail about how mothers must continue to breastfeed their babies while incorporating staple foods, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and animal-source foods into their diets over the course of six months.
It is imperative for nurses to record the growth monitoring and promotion data and provide mothers with guidance on the reasons for these findings. This will help the mothers recognise their hard work and make an attempt to continue nursing and maintaining a healthy diet for their child.
