A consultant endocrinologist, Dr Bolanle Okunowo, says inadequate or absence of breastfeeding with excessive use of artificial milk increases the risk of type 1 diabetes mellitus in children.
Okunowo, a consultant physician
with the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, disclosed this in an
interview with the News Agency of Nigeria to commemorate the 2023 World Diabetes
Day on Tuesday in Lagos.
She said exposing a child to
artificial milk instead of breast milk early in life increases the chance of
the child developing autoantibodies that predisposes him/her to the risk of
developing type1 diabetes.
According to her, artificial
milk is a foreign thing to the body of the child because it is not natural like
breast milk.
Okunowo added that inadequate
or absence of breastfeeding with increasing use of artificial milk feeding not
only make the child prone to type 1 diabetes, but other health conditions.
She listed the health
conditions as asthma, obesity and sudden infant death syndrome .
The endocrinologist emphasised
the need for mothers to exclusively breastfeed their babies to help in building
their immune system.
She noted that a mother was
expected to exclusively breastfeed for six months.
“When a child is exposed to
artificial milk early in life when born; that child has a risk of developing
autoantibodies that can predispose him/her to the risk of developing type 1
diabetes.
“Because artificial milk is a
foreign thing to the body of the child – is not natural, so the body of the
child might start developing some chemicals (autoantibodies) early in life that
predisposes the child to risk of type 1 diabetes.
“That’s why we encourage
mothers to exclusively breastfeed babies for six months and thereafter in combination
with food for two years.
“Breastfed babies have a lower
risk of asthma, obesity, type 1 diabetes, and SIDS,” she said.
Okunowo emphasised the need for
spacious playing grounds in schools to encourage exercise and adequate physical
activity among Nigerian children.
This, she said, would help to
reduce the incidence of childhood obesity.
She lamented that the playing
ground of most schools had been reduced due to urbanisation, resulting in a
lack of exercise which could make the children develop type 2 diabetes.
According to her, overweight
and obesity in children are mainly caused by lack of exercise, which causes
type 2 diabetes.
“The playing ground of the
majority of the schools is almost zero.
“And the children take high
caloric foods – when they pack their food for school there are all kinds of
drinks, snacks and chocolates.
“Children of nowadays are into
playing with phones or laptops- so they are not active and can hardly exercise
because the school is small.
“So, these things predispose
the children to developing type 2 diabetes.
“Childhood obesity is a major
problem in Nigeria now that we are not seeing before,” Okunowo said.
The WDD is celebrated annually
on November 14 to raise awareness of diabetes as a global public health issue,
its risk and what to do importantly to support prevention, early diagnosis and
timely treatment.
(NAN)
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