The Far East Rand Hospital (FERH) opened its Kangaroo Mother and Child (KMC) unit’s doors to Gauteng Health and Wellness MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko on August 3 to commemorate Breastfeeding Week.
Breastfeeding Week is commemorated from August 1 to 7 to demonstrate a sustained commitment to protect, support and promote breastfeeding as a key child survival and cost-effective intervention.
From August 1 to 7, following this year’s theme, Enabling Breastfeeding: Making a Difference for Working Parents, the week exhibited steadfast dedication to safeguard, support, and promote breastfeeding as a critical and affordable intervention for child survival.
The MEC encouraged the mothers at the KMC to continue bonding with their premature babies and breastfeeding because breastmilk is the optimal food source for babies and contains all the nutritional substances and antibodies they need to grow and be protected from illnesses.
“Breastfed babies have a lower risk of becoming obese, diabetic and having cancer or heart disease later in life,” said Nkomo-Ralehoko.
“They also have a lower risk of allergies, asthma, wheezing, and rashes.”
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She said exclusive breastfeeding was shown to play a primary role in reducing diarrhoea, respiratory infections, and allergies.
Nkomo-Ralehoko reiterated with Paediatrician Moses Matlhadisa that young mothers should be helped to breastfeed their babies because it would allow them to interact with them and observe them when they are ill.
“If mothers are not doing that, they take away that connection with the baby,” said Nkomo-Ralehoko.
Matlhadisa said the breastfeeding rate was low, with more than 50% of moms stopping breastfeeding when the baby was six months old and starting mix-feeding with formula.
“When the baby reaches a year, most of them will have completely stopped breastfeeding, resulting in malnutrition.”
He said the hospital had been treating many malnourished babies, but he emphasised encouraging mothers to take breastfeeding seriously and to maintain breastfeeding for at least a year.
Nkomo-Ralehoko saluted the hospital for its uniqueness and for exceeding its specialities in all its services.
