Experts push for exclusive six-month breastfeeding from birth

Exclusively breastfeeding babies from the day of birth to six months of life has been identified as contributing to factors that make babies smart, intelligent and healthy. 

It is for this reason that the Ghana Health Service and allied agencies are asking that maternity leave be extended from three to six-months to improve on the health and wealth of not only the families, but the nation. 

On Radio Ghana's Current Affairs Programme “Focus,” which discussed the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding for the baby, the mother and the family, a Public Health Nurse with the Ghana Health Service, Madam Gloria Chandi, noted that breastfeeding a baby exclusively as against artificial food, is safe, fast, easy, healthy and economical. 

The Assistant Chief Technical Officer at the Accra Metro Health Directorate of the Ghana Health Service, Peggy Keteku, talked about the challenges working mothers go through which affects the duration for breastfeeding their babies. 

She noted that this greatly affects the health of the baby and mother and their output even when they resume work.

GBC