Did you know: Breastfeeding

Adequate nutrition during early childhood ensures optimal growth and development of children and this starts right at birth! Human milk is the best nutrition for children. WHO and UNICEF recommend that “children initiate breastfeeding within the first hour of birth (this is called the “Golden Hour”! ¹ ) and be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life – meaning no other foods or liquids are provided, including water.” ² This also means no formula, gruel, or other foods. This is the same recommendation provided by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) ³ . This is the gold standard for infant nutrition. Unfortunately, recent research demonstrates that the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding in Burao, Somaliland is very low compared to these recommendations.

We know this because of a research study done in 2020.⁴ The researchers studied 464 mothers with infants between the ages of 6 – 24 months with the aim of assessing exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life and its associated factors among children 6–24 months of age. ⁵ The prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding was only 20.47%. This is among the lowest in the world. Factors contributing to the low exclusive breastfeeding rates were:

• mother’s lack of formal education
• an income less than $100 per month
• being female child mothers not receiving counselling on breastfeeding during antenatal care, and
•  lack of support from their husband.

Each of these were statistically associated with low exclusive breastfeeding practice. To improve exclusive breastfeeding rates, which will improve infant and children’s nutritional status, it is important for health systems and health care providers (midwifes, nurses, physicians, healthcare workers) to promote exclusive breastfeeding through promotion of women’s education, encourage antenatal care that includes counseling on the importance of exclusive breastfeeding, and encouragement of the husbands’ engagement and support.