Breast milk: The first food every child needs

Publication info: The Citizen ; Dar es Salaam [Dar es Salaam]10 Dec 2018.

ProQuest document link

FULL TEXT
Rains pounded the lakeside city of Mwanza, so Soko Kuu (the central market) is a bit muddy. We push our way
through the crowds into the busy market, and in the vegetable section, we catch a glimpse of Fauzia Musa, 26, who
is breastfeeding her baby behind a pile of tomatoes that she is selling. She quickly finishes and straps her baby on
her back to attend to her next customer.
I approach her and ask her if she has eaten anything to boost her milk production, and she shows me an empty
plate and water bottle as a confirmation that she indeed has eaten a balanced meal.
She is aware of the importance of good nutrition and breastfeeding despite her demanding work.
“I come with my 8-month-old baby to my workplace to ensure he breastfeeds on demand. At the antenatal clinic
the nurses told us the importance of breast milk in a child’s health,” she meekly says.
Her neighbour in the next stall, Miriam Hassan, 50, usually offers to sell for her whenever she is breastfeeding or
eating.
She says she understands the importance of breastfeeding to a child’s wellbeing and nutrition on the mother’s
milk production though at times, she does not eat on time when she has many customers.
A very important aspect of community support that breastfeeding mothers need.
“As an older woman, I have to ensure they have both eaten,” she proudly states. As I chat with the two women,
women who are selling vegetables in the adjacent stalls join the conversation.
Each suggests what she thinks is the right diet for breastfeeding mother. Their suggeststion range from porridge
to vegetables and meat soup.
For Mariam Seneda, 31, who works as an accountant in Mwanza, exclusive breastfeeding was not possible.
“The nutritionist told me that the food I ate is what made my milk supply dry and gave my baby a running stomach.
So I stopped breastfeeding at four months, ”she says, adding that her house help could not prepare for her a
balanced diet.
Why breast milk
Despite the clear benefits of breastfeeding, many Tanzanians still do not understand the link between good
nutrition, food security and breastfeeding.
According to the Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey for 2015-2016, only 59.2 per cent of Tanzanian children
are exclusively breast-fed. This means about 40 per cent of children are not breastfed despite the clear advantages
of breastfeeding.
Jane Msagati, a nutritionist and programme coordinator at Partnership for Nutrition in Tanzania (Panita), asserts
that breast milk should be the first food of every child that comes into this world.
“Every child should be exclusively breastfed for six months, and breastfeeding should continue until they are two
years old. This is because breast milk is the complete food. It has essential nutrients that a child needs for the first
six months of life,” Ms Msagati emphasises, adding that these are the recommendations of the World Health
Organisation (WHO).
“By exclusive, that means no water, glucose or formula should be given,” she firmly states.
According to her, breastfeeding has positive effects not only on babies, but on their mothers as well.
For babies, Ms Msagati says, breast milk is not only the most nutritious food. It also boosts their immunity from

PDF GENERATED BY SEARCH.PROQUEST.COM Page 1 of 4

infections, allergies, some chronic diseases and even childhood cancers, and it is also a good protection against
obesity in later life.
“It also strengthens a close bond through eye-to-eye contact and physical closeness between the child and
mother,” she explains.
Each Tanzanian community has developed over the years its own local, balanced diet for nursing mothers.
“For instance, in Moshi there is mtori, which is cooked soft bananas blended with meat into a thick soup. In
Mwanza, there is fish soup, ugali and mchicha (amaranth leaves). And in Bukoba, there is garden eggs (ntula), fish
and bananas,” she says, while pointing out that people should go back to the old ways of eating. “Let’s eat what is
locally available in our settings.”
According to the Encyclopedia of Early Childhood Development, the benefits of breastfeeding for mothers include
lower levels of stress and fewer negative moods.
It also lowers the risk of obesity because it makes it easy to resume pre-pregnancy weight, and reduces the
chances of getting osteoporosis and breast and ovarian cancer.
The role of health facilities
Dr Richard Rumanyika, a senior gynaecologist and obstetrician at Bugando Hospital, a top referral in the Lake Zone
Region, says the benefits of breastfeeding in improvements in a child’s emotional, cognitive and psychosocial
development last long after the child stops breastfeeding.
That is why the medical facility watches breastfeeding trends and helps mothers achieve optimal feeding for their
babies.
“We prepare mothers for breastfeeding during antenatal and post-natal care, and we also stress the importance of
good nutrition,” Dr Manyika states, adding that spouses are usually encouraged to accompany their wives to the
clinic to ensure breastfeeding mothers get enough food, assistance with chores and emotional support at home
and in the community attitude.
The medic adds that Bugando Hospital will do more research and training on breastfeeding to influence many
women to choose it as the best option for their children.
“Many people are not aware that breastfeeding guards the baby against gastrointestinal and respiratory infections,
and studies have associated it with reduced incidence of the onset of chronic diseases, such as diabetes,” he
states.
Dr Shafiq Mohammed, the Director of Msasani Peninsula Hospital in Dar es Salaam and a consultant
gynaecologist, notes that mothers who breastfeed exclusively have higher levels of maternal attachment with their
children, and thus experience lower levels of stress.
“Breastfeeding does not only play a part in emotional and social development but also aids in development of
central nervous system and affect children’s motor development. For instance, breastfed babies show ability to
crawl faster,” says Dr Shafiq who is also a lecturer at Muhimbili University of Allied Health and Sciences (Muhas).
At Msasani Peninsula Hospital, they begin teaching mothers how to prepare their nipples for breastfeeding in the
28th week of antenatal care.
What can be done
Ms Msagati stresses that mothers should have balanced diets, adequate rest, and support at family level.
“A balanced diet should include locally available food –for instance, beans for protein, mchicha (amaranth leaves)
for vitamins, bananas for carbohydrates and plenty of fluids, especially water,” she suggests, adding that the food
and nutritional policy of 1992 is currently being reviewed by the Ministry of Health to make it one health policy
which includes health and nutritional pact.
She also calls for exclusive breastfeeding awareness campaigns and changes of attitudes and mindsets, as well
as a supportive framework at every level from family, community, public policy, law, and the health-care system.
Dr Rumanyika suggests that marketing of formula milk and infant feeding substitutes should be prohibted.
He also calls for further research on the impact of breastfeeding on child’s development.
Dr Shafiq suggests that health-care facilities should educate mothers on good breastfeeding techniques through a

PDF GENERATED BY SEARCH.PROQUEST.COM Page 2 of 4

combination of prenatal education with postnatal outreach.
If all these are achieved, breastfeeding will be universally acceptable practice and a part of life in Tanzania and
beyond.
The next article of this series will address breastfeeding challenges for working mothers drawn from focus group
discussions and interviews. This special project on breastfeeding was produced with support from the
International Centre for Journalists (ICFJ).
The author is an Early Childhood Development Fellow with International Centre for Journalists
© Copyright Mwananchi Communications 2018. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc.
(Syndigate.info).

DETAILS

Subject: Womens health; Food; Nutritionists; Prenatal education; Baby foods; Community
support; Nutrition research; Chronic illnesses; Hospitals; Families &family life; Diet;
Children &youth; Breastfeeding &lactation; Early childhood education; Mothers;
Babies

Location: Tanzania

Company / organization: Name: World Health Organization; NAICS: 923120; Name: Muhimbili University;
NAICS: 611310

Publication title: The Citizen; Dar es Salaam

Publication year: 2018

Publication date: Dec 10, 2018

Publisher: SyndiGate Media Inc

Place of publication: Dar es Salaam

Country of publication: United States, Dar es Salaam

Publication subject: General Interest Periodicals--Tanzania

ISSN: 08569754

Source type: Newspapers

Language of publication: English

Document type: News

ProQuest document ID: 2153549118

Document URL: https://search.proquest.com/docview/2153549118?accountid=171161

PDF GENERATED BY SEARCH.PROQUEST.COM Page 3 of 4

 Copyright: © Copyright Mwananchi Communications 2018. All Rights Reserved. Provided by
SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).

Last updated: 2018-12-10

Database: ProQuest Central

Database copyright  2019 ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved.

Terms and Conditions Contact ProQuest

PDF GENERATED BY SEARCH.PROQUEST.COM Page 4 of 4