A Paediatrician has warned lactating mothers against washing frequent washing of nipples before breastfeeding their babies.
Dr Chinwe Ogbonnaa-Njoku, a Senior Registrar at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital said that cleaning the breast each time before breastfeeding could lead to irritation or dryness of the nipples.
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During an interview with PUNCH HealthWise, she said the milk in breast has natural substances that inhibit the growth of bacteria. So, mothers should not be worried that her breast is dirty.
She, however, maintained that one must clean their breast while bathing, not before each feed.
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Her words: “As part of one’s personal hygiene, a lactating woman should clean her breasts while bathing. But, it is not necessary to clean the breasts before each feed. This could end up irritating or drying the nipples.
“The skin around the breast has good bacteria that help the baby to develop the right kind of bacteria in their intestine and help them develop a good immune system.
“Also, breast milk has some natural substances that inhibit the growth of bacteria so a woman should not be worried that her breast is dirty.”
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