71 of nigerian children not breastfed exclusively report

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), exclusive breastfeeding is defined as giving a baby only breast milk, without any other foods or liquids, for the first six months of life.

In Nigeria, a significant proportion of children are not breastfed exclusively. According to the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), 71% of Nigerian children under the age of 6 months were not breastfed exclusively.

This means that only 29% of Nigerian children under 6 months were breastfed exclusively, which is below the recommended global target of 50% exclusive breastfeeding rate.

The NDHS report highlights that the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding was highest among children born to mothers with a secondary education or higher (34.1%), while it was lowest among children born to mothers with no education (23.4%).

The report also found that the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding was higher in urban areas (31.4%) compared to rural areas (25.4%).

The low prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding in Nigeria is a concern, as it can have negative consequences for child health and development. Exclusive breastfeeding has been shown to reduce the risk of diarrhea, respiratory tract infections, and other childhood illnesses, and can also improve cognitive development and reduce the risk of obesity and diabetes later in life.

Efforts are needed to promote exclusive breastfeeding in Nigeria, including increasing awareness about the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding, improving access to breastfeeding support and counseling, and addressing the social and cultural barriers that may prevent mothers from breastfeeding exclusively.