Health experts have expressed concern over a rise in the number of women who are opting for bottle feeding.
Ministry of Health data shows there has been a steady increase from 22 per cent of women bottle-feeding their babies in 2014 to 32 per cent in 2022.
This means that 34 per cent of children below the age of 24 months are still being fed from a bottle.
Laura Kiige, a nutrition support officer, on Monday said bottle feeding has effects on the baby as it makes them develop problems attaching to the mother's breast which is important in muscle development.
This comes even as the country gears to join the rest of the world in marking World Breastfeeding Week 2023.
The week will be marked from Tuesday, August 1 to Monday, August 7, 2023 under the theme, “Enabling breastfeeding: Making a difference for working parents".
"The danger as this is concerned is that babies that are bottle-fed have nipple confusion. They may not be able to attach very well or enjoy breastfeeding because they have known an easier way of getting milk without having to suckle because suckling has some effort to be put into that and the effort is what helps to develop the jaws of the baby," Kiige said.
Bottle feeding is not recommended for children under the age of two years with the World Health Organisation and Unicef warning that the nipple on a feeding bottle is susceptible to contamination and increases the risk of disease among children.
“When bottle feeding is associated with unhygienic conditions and poor preparation of infant formula, it puts the infant at a great risk of illness, resulting in an increased risk of mortality,” WHO warns.
The global health agency has also associated infant bottle feeding with earlier cessation of bread feeding as the babies who are fed from a bottle with an artificial teat may find it difficult to learn to attach well at the breast
