Abstract

The wealth of a nation depends largely on the extent of the health of its citizens and the children are the future generation who are expected to grow up into healthy productive adults, able to make full contribution towards the economic and social development of their countries. A child malnourished cannot grow up to meet this task. Therefore the challenges of the effects of exclusive breastfeeding on the health of babies in Ife Central Local Government of Osun State was examined through 50 nursing mothers that were randomly selected in Ife Central Local Community from four different hospitals both from postnatal and infant welfare clinic records. The paper also highlights the concept of breastfeeding, breast milk and the importance of breastfeeding as well. The result shows that the effect of it on the health of baby’s growth cannot be overemphasized in its reduction of malnutrition in early childhood as well as the need to pay an appropriate attention to the health of the children right from the infant age. Suggestions were propounded on how to reduce mortality.

Key words: Exclusive breastfeeding, importance of breastfeeding, structure of the breast, breast-milk and breast-milk constituents.