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Rumbidzayi Zinyuke Senior Health Reporter
THE Government has expressed concern at the decline in breastfeeding recorded in the country over the past three years and stressed the need to continuously educate women on the long-term benefits of breast milk in the health and development of their children.
According to statistics from the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey of 2018, the proportion of children ever breastfed stood at 99 percent, but the 2022 Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (Zimvac) survey results reflected a 9 percent decline to 90 percent.
The percentage of children breastfed up to two years was at 83 percent in 2018 and this has also gone down to 81 percent this year.
Advocacy and communications officer in the Ministry of Health and Child Care national nutrition unit Ms Chikanda said the statistics showed that women were losing confidence to breastfeed.
“This shows that 10 in every 100 women are failing to breastfeed their children and this could be due to a number of reasons,” she said. “We really need to support women so that they overcome the challenges and step up the breastfeeding rates.”
Ms Chikanda said the aggressive and unnecessary marketing of breastmilk substitutes could be one of the major reasons behind the decline in breastfeeding rates.
Breast milk substitutes include infant formula, animal milk, plant based milk and the use of pacifiers.
“Most of the breastmilk substitutes are made from cow’s milk and this means that the excess sugar and proteins in the milk will cause excess fat accumulation within the baby,” said Ms Chikanda.
“Babies who are artificially fed, especially during the first six months are at a higher risk of becoming overweight and obese in future compared to their breastfed counterparts.”
Due to electrolytes and higher protein content, cow milk’s renal solute load is known to be about three times higher than human milk, hence it becomes too heavy for the baby’s kidneys.
Studies have shown that babies who are fed milk substitutes are also at higher risk of developing non-communicable diseases like diabetes and others later in life.
Zimbabwe is celebrating World Breastfeeding Week with the aim to raise awareness about breastfeeding and its advantages.
This is celebrated every year between August 1 and August 7, and this year it will be commemorated under the theme “Step up for breastfeeding: Educate and Support”.
Although the country does not have legislation that forces women to breastfeed, Government has created an enabling environment that makes breastfeeding an easier option for women.
Breast milk provides all the nutrients a baby requires in the first six months of life and it continues to provide up to half or more of a child’s nutritional needs during the second half of the first year, and up to one-third during the second year of life.
However, the decline in breastfeeding could usher in worse challenges if not curbed.
“If rates continue to go down, there could be issues of increased rates of malnutrition,” said Ms Chikanda. “Most cases of acute malnutrition arise due to poor feeding practices post-weaning.
“Looking at the economic situation, most families might find it hard to provide balanced meals for their babies which is a risk for acute malnutrition and also for chronic malnutrition (stunting).
“Early weaning or cessation of breastfeeding is likely to result in us losing out on the gains of the decrease in malnutrition we had recorded over the last five years.”
Online Reporter