Growth faltering among exclusively breastfed infants in Ogun State, Nigeria

This is a descriptive and cross-sectional study of the nutritional status of exclusively breastfed infants under six months of age in Ogun state, Nigeria. The objective of this communitybased study was to examine the pattern of growth of infants whose mothers claimed were being exclusively breastfed within the first 6 months of life. Data were obtained from purposely selected 400 nursing mothers with the use of focus group discussions (FGDs) and observational methods, using a combination of exclusive breastfeeding indicators developed from the “Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding” guidelines and tips from “Helping Mothers to Breastfeed” guide. Findings revealed that majority of nursing mothers were not exposed to the basic practical steps in breastfeeding during the antenatal period. It was also observed that nursing mothers usually transferred the baby from one breast to another arbitrarily without allowing the baby to exhaust the milk in each breast, thereby depriving the baby of the hind milk necessary for energy. This resulted in a technical deficiency in the practice of exclusive breastfeeding. These findings suggest that health care providers and nursing mothers need to know more about nutrition education on exclusive breastfeeding.