Nutritionists canvass exclusive breastfeeding at Promasidor symposium

Nutritionists have said exclusive breastfeeding of babies for the first six months of life is the best and could help to considerably reduce infant mortality.

The nutritionists, led by Professor (Mrs) Ngozi Nnam, the President of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN) stated this on Tuesday at a one-day Breastfeeding symposium organised by Promasidor Nigeria Limited during which the company also introduced two infant milk formulas – Cowbell Tina 1 and Cowbell Tina 2.

The theme of the event was “The Nutrition Wisdom of Infant Feeding Choices” and it was held at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.

According to the Nutritionists, breastfeeding has an extraordinary range of benefits for the child and even for their mothers. They also stated that in circumstances when it becomes impossible for mothers to breastfeed their babies, they could  use substitutes which must be readily available and affordable.

Speaking on: “The Nutrition Wisdom of Infant Feeding Choices”, Professor Nnam said Breastfeeding alone (exclusive breastfeeding) is a complete nutritional source for infants for the first six months of life because breast milk contains all the essential nutrients, bio-active compounds and anti-infective factors needed by the infant for the first six months of life.

Mr. Olivier Thiry, Managing Director, Promasidor Nigeria Limited;Professor (Mrs) Ngozi Nnam, Keynote Speaker; Festus Tettey, Head of Marketing, Promasidor; and Andrew Enahoro, Head, Legal/PR, Promasidor; at the one-day workshop on Breastfeeding workshop organised by Promasidor at Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos on Tuesday   

She warned that insufficiency of nutrients in babies could have significant effect on the brain of babies; which is rapidly developing during infancy. Her words: “Inadequate supply of the nutrients like iron, iodine, magnesium ,Vitamin B12, folate,  fat (LC- PUFA) leads to insults in the brain to reduce IQ by 13.5 points. The effect is permanent.”

In his welcome address, Mr. Olivier Thiry, Managing Director, Promasidor said the company produces premium nutritional products that are good for all categories of people. According to him, the products produced by Promasidor contain Vitamins A, Iron and other vital nutrients human bodies need for healthy living.

His words: “We produce different products and they all have appropriate quantity and quality of nutrients required by different classes of people.”


Professor Nnam therefore said Nutrition wisdom is important to ensure adequate supply of nutrients to support rapid growth and development of the infant; prevent malnutrition that could lead to stunting, wasting, underweight and micronutrient deficiency diseases; as well as to protect the infant from developing chronic diseases in adulthood like diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity.

According to her, the nutrients contained in breast milk are adequate in quantity and quality to promote optimal growth and development of infants. She explained that composition of breast milk has been designed by nature to provide all the nutrient needs of the infant, make for easy digestion and assimilation by infants.

Mr. Olivier Thiry, Managing Director, Promasidor Nigeria Limited;Professor (Mrs) Ngozi Nnam, Keynote Speaker; Festus Tettey, Head of Marketing, Promasidor; and Andrew Enahoro, Head, Legal/PR, Promasidor; at the one-day workshop on Breastfeeding workshop organised by Promasidor at Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos on Tuesday   

She stated that breast milk is uniquely suited for infants both in nutritional composition and in the non-nutritive bioactive factors that promote survival and health. “Human milk contains water, fat, proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, some hormones, enzymes, growth factors, essential fatty acids and immunological factors that play vital roles for adequate development and growth of the infant”; she said.

Dr. Abieyuwa Emokpae, a Consultant Paediatrician and Medical Doctor at Massey Street Children’s Hospital corroborated Professor Nnam as he said human milk contains hundreds to thousands of distinct bioactive molecules that protect against infection and inflammation and contribute  to immune maturation, organ development and healthy microbial colonization.