Exclusive breastfeeding: babies' only source of water

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Extract from the article: Exclusive breastfeeding, i.e. feeding infants exclusively from their mothers for the first six months, is vital to their growth and development. But in many countries in West and Central Africa, mothers frequently add water to their infants' diet. UN

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Exclusive breastfeeding, i.e. feeding infants exclusively from their mothers for the first six months, is vital to their growth and development. But in many countries in West and Central Africa, mothers frequently add water to their infants' diet. UNICEF Regional Nutrition Advisor Siméon Nanama says that if this practice could be abolished, all countries could achieve more than 50% exclusive breastfeeding, the target set by the WHO for 2025.

To meet this challenge, UNICEF has launched an advocacy and communication campaign in 2019 aimed at changing behaviour. This campaign focuses specifically on the elimination of water in the diet of infants under six months. Ten countries have officially launched this initiative at national level, and eighteen others have signed up. The results are promising: the number of countries where the rate of exclusive breastfeeding exceeds 50% has risen from five in 2018 to ten in 2024.

Exclusive breastfeeding has many advantages and is well researched. It provides infants with all the necessary nutrients and protection against infection, according to UNICEF's regional nutrition adviser.Children who are exclusively breastfed also develop improved cognitive skills.For pregnant women, breastfeeding reduces the chances of suffering from post-partum depression, developing breast and uterine cancers, helps maintain a healthy weight and promotes natural breastfeeding. Despite these benefits, only 40% of babies under the age of six months are fully breastfed in this region.

Introducing water too early in an infant's diet can be detrimental, diluting the vital nutrients present in breast milk and increasing the risk of contamination and infection.The first six months of a baby's life are perfectly covered by breast milk, which provides all the necessary nutrients and protective elements.It is therefore crucial to eliminate water from the diet of babies under six months of age in order to improve rates of exclusive breastfeeding and, consequently, the health and development of children in the region. Although progress has been made, much remains to be done to bring about a profound change in mentalities and cultural practices.

Jean ELI