Extend Period for Maternity Leave to facilitate exclusive  breastfeeding - Nutritionist Pleads Government

The Nutrition officer For Jaman North District Health Directorate, Mr. Addai-Yeboah Joseph has pleaded with the government to extend the three months of maternity leave to six months.

The extension, according to him, would help to promote the exclusive breastfeeding agenda.

He pointed out that the exclusive breastfeeding commences from the day a woman delivers to the sixth month of the newborn baby without adding water or anything apart from the breast milk.

Mr Joseph was peaking in an interview on Gye Nyame FM program Dubbed You and Your Health, as part of the celebration of World Breastfeeding week which falls in the first week of every August. 

He advocated that the 3months maternity leave given to nursing mothers affects the exclusive breastfeeding plan.

"This is because the pressure on nursing mothers at the workplace after returning to work from the 3months leave always interrupts the breastfeeding plan which affects the health of the newborn baby hence the need for government to extend the period to benefit the newborn baby and the mother," he noted.

Mr. Joseph explained that exclusive breastfeeding is the continuous feeding of the newborn baby with only breast milk from birth to the 6th month without adding any food substance or water. 

He indicated that breast milk contains all the food nutrients that are needed by babies to ensure effective growth and health status. 

He admonished that families must support nursing mothers to be able to practice exclusive breastfeeding successfully.