Women in Tana River County have been accused of refraining from breastfeeding their children in order to “maintain” their breasts.
According to Public Health Officer Samuel Jefwa, women in the county reported fearing their breasts will sag making them unattractive to their men.
Jefwa noted that the lactating mothers stop the breastfeeding process less than six months after giving birth, a decision which puts their childrens' health at risk.
“They fear that their breasts will sag, hence they want to maintain firm, pointed breasts to impress their spouses,” the public health officer remarked.
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Jefwa further noted that most mothers preferred feeding young babies with cow milk, porridge and other heavy food at a tender age which causes the babies to suffer 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,” Jefwa stated.
He further remarked that men, who failed to appreciate their wives as they were and putting them under pressure and also the failure to provide a proper diet for their lactating spouses were a hindrance to breastfeeding.
Jefwa stated that there was a need for men to be sensitized on the importance of breastfeeding as compared to having a wife with firm breasts.
In 2017, a survey conducted by the World Vision revealed that more than 5,000 children were suffering from malnutrition.
[caption caption="A baby breastfeeding"]
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About 11,048 expectant women flocked hospitals and dispensaries to get the government supplies of Iron folate, to improve their health and nutrition status.
