According to the World Health Organization (WHO), undernutrition is estimated to be associated with 2.7 million deaths annually or 45% of all child deaths. The WHO articulates the fact that optimal breastfeeding is very critical and could save the lives of 820,000 under-five children annually. Infants aged 12 months or less and young children between the ages of 12 to 36 months are most likely to survive, grow and develop to their full potential when breastfed, due to the interactional nature of breastfeeding and the unique properties of breastmilk. Breast milk prevents children from being undernourished in two ways: providing optimal nutrients for growth and development and offering protection against common childhood illnesses that contribute to or worsen undernutrition. Examples are diarrhea and pneumonia.

During the first month of life of an infant, breastmilk composition changes daily, beginning with colostrum, passing through transitional milk to becoming mature milk. This modification ensures that the specific nutritional needs of the newborn are met for optimal growth, gastrointestinal function and immune response. Colostrum is high in protein and fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin A as well as growth factors and other biological components that support the immune system. Due to its important role in disease prevention, colostrum is often considered to be the infant’s first immunization. In order to harness its full advantage, breastfeeding should start as soon as possible, typically within one hour of birth in women without birth complications.

Based on proven evidence, the World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life and continued breastfeeding alongside appropriate complementary foods up to two years of age or beyond. Breast milk is the best source of nutrition for infants because it provides essential nutrients for growth and development and it helps protect children from infections. Children lacking in one or more indispensable nutrients and/or experience frequent episodes of infection mostly suffer from undernutrition. Breastfeeding can help to prevent children from being too thin for their height, or short for their age (stunting) or deficient in important micronutrients (hidden hunger) which are the different forms in which undernutrition manifest.

It is noteworthy to mention that after six months breastfeeding alone cannot prevent malnutrition. Complementary feeding should start at six months and not earlier than four months depending on how fast a child is reaching developmental milestones. Mothers and caregivers need to ensure that meals fed to babies need not to be too thin as such meals may contain fewer nutrients to support the child’s growth and development, thereby leading to undernutrition. Adequate education and support is what the nutrition team at Lagos Food Bank Initiative offer to mothers of young children to ensure that their kids grow and develop appropriately. In addition to health and nutrition counseling, Lagos Food Bank provides nutritious food support to nursing mothers and caregivers through her high impact programme – Nutritious Meal Plan Intervention for Vulnerable Mothers and Children (NUMEPLAN) – positioned to reduce child malnutrition in Lagos State.

To wrap it up, the importance of breastfeeding on the nutritional and health status of children and their mothers cannot be overemphasized given that breastfeeding provides optimal nutrition for infants and protects them from recurring episodes of infection. Also, there is enough evidence that supports the role of breastfeeding in reducing the risk of ovarian and breast cancer in women. Bearing in mind these potential benefits, lactating mothers need to receive all the support they need in their family, community and workplaces to ensure that children get fed adequately with breastmilk.