Parents with infants are still feeding their children aged below two years from bottles with a nipple despite the health implications.
The Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) 2022 Key Indicators Report released on Tuesday shows 34 per cent of children below the age of 24 months were fed from a bottle with a nipple.
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.
The report further notes that only six in every 10 children born in the last two years were put to the breast within one hour of birth while another six in every 10 Sixty under six months are exclusively breastfed.
It is recommended that a baby is imitated into breast milk within one hour after birth due to the health benefits associated with it.
“The first breast milk contains colostrum, which is highly nutritious and has antibodies that protect the newborn from 45 infections,” the report states.
It adds: “Early initiation of breastfeeding also encourages bonding between the mother and her newborn, especially through skin-to-skin contact, which facilitates the production of breast milk.”
Exclusive breastfeeding on the other hand means that a baby is fed only on the mother’s breast milk for the first six months.
This has been associated with a lower risk of infections which can lead to diarrhoea and respiratory illnesses.
It is also known to provide all of the nutrients and liquid an infant requires for optimal growth and development.
