Nairobi News

Women in Tana River County have been accused of refusing to breastfeed their children in order to “maintain” their breast.

Public Health Officer Samuel Jefwa said women fear that the breasts will sag hence making them unattractive to their men.

He said the lactating parents have been stopping the breastfeeding process in less than six months after birth, putting the health of the babies at risk.

“They fear that their breasts will sag, hence they want to maintain firm, pointed breasts to impress their spouses,” he said.

Mr Jefwa said the mothers preferred feeding young babies with cow milk, porridge and other heavy food at a tender age.

The babies hence suffered malnutrition, and easily fell victims of nutritional diseases, and so did the mothers.

“The mothers don’t know what they are denying their children, and they also do not know they are making themselves vulnerable to breast cancer,” he said.

BREASTFEEDING

He further said other reasons for failure to breastfeed were being caused by men, who failed to appreciate their wives as they were, hence putting them under pressure and also failure to provide proper diet for their lactating spouses.

Mr Jefwa said there was need for men to be sensitized on importance of breastfeeding to having a wife with firm breasts.

He also called on men to support their wives after delivery, to ensure they were appreciated and that their children were well taken care of.

He further called on women to choose their priorities right, and put their babies first before matters beauty.

Last year, research carried out by World Vision revealed that more than 5,000 children were suffering from malnutrition.

On the other hand 11,048 expectant women flocked hospitals and dispensaries to get the government supplies of Iron folate, to improve their health and nutrition status.

The county department of health is scheduled to carry out a program meant to train women on exclusive breastfeeding and its importance to both the mother and child, this week.