HFDI ADVANCES MATERNAL AND CHILD WELL-BEING THROUGH HYGIENE EDUCATION IN MKPAT ENIN LGA
…Pregnant Women, Mothers, Fathers, and TBAs Trained, Health Commodities Distributed…
In order to strengthen hygiene practices during pregnancy and breastfeeding to improve maternal and child health outcomes and reduce the risk of infections, Hope for Family Development Initiative, HFDI, Akwa Ibom State, conducted an Infant and Young Child Feeding/Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition, IYCF/MIYCN, session at Ikot Ukwa Community, Mkpat Enin Local Government Area.
The organisation emphasized that hygiene during pregnancy and breastfeeding is critical to achieving optimal nutrition, health, and child development. Poor household hygiene can increase the risk of infections and complications for pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, infants, and young children.
The session targeted pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, fathers, adolescents, and grandparents to broaden household-level adoption of positive health behaviors.
Participants were educated on maintaining good hygiene to prevent infections and promote maternal and child health during pregnancy and breastfeeding: regular bathing, proper hand washing, and oral hygiene, and safe water consumption, and environmental sanitation, as well as maintaining clean clothing to reduce infection risks
The session also emphasized safe breastfeeding and infant feeding practices, including hand hygiene before breastfeeding or expressing breast milk, appropriate breast care, and safe handling and storage of expressed breast milk.
The session was highly interactive, with participants asking questions and sharing experiences.
On whether breasts and nipples should be washed with soap before every breastfeeding session, the facilitator explained that regular daily bathing is sufficient. Frequent soap use may cause nipple dryness and irritation. Mothers were advised to practice proper hand hygiene before breastfeeding and seek medical care for sore, cracked, or infected nipples.
To support the messages, HFDI distributed essential commodities such as Micronutrient supplements to pregnant women to support healthy pregnancy outcomes, deworming tablets* to eligible participants, baby wipes to promote infant hygiene, and cotton wool* to Traditional Birth Attendants, TBAs, to support hygienic maternal and newborn care
The TBA leader commended HFDI for the session and the relevance of the information shared. Participants reported increased knowledge on hygiene, food safety, environmental sanitation, breast care, and safe infant feeding, and requested more similar sessions.
The session enhanced participants’ knowledge of proper hygiene during pregnancy and breastfeeding, infection prevention, maternal health, and safe infant feeding. The knowledge gained is expected to drive positive behavioral change, strengthen household hygiene, and contribute to improved maternal and child health outcomes.
HFDI reaffirmed its commitment to delivering community-based health and nutrition interventions that foster positive health behaviors and support improved maternal, infant, and young child health and nutrition outcomes in project communities.