A nutrition consultant, Lois Onyike, has called on fathers to play an active role in ensuring the proper nutrition of their children, starting with pregnancy.
Ms Onyike, speaking about the promotion of maternal, infant and young child nutrition, stated this in an interview with journalists in Benin on Saturday.
According to her, fathers need to be actively involved in the nutritional care of their children from pregnancy through the breastfeeding period.
“When a woman is pregnant, her partner is encouraged to support her because there is this hormone called ‘Oxytocin’, which is highest in a healthy relationship or marriage.
“Oxytocin, often dubbed the ‘love hormone’, plays a significant role in bonding and emotional well-being.
“That’s why we are calling on husbands and male partners to support the women so that they will have healthy children, and both of them can bring up a healthy child,” she said.
The consultant noted that breastfeeding was not solely a woman’s responsibility but a family affair.
She said, “A mother needs support to be able to breastfeed successfully.
“Even if a partner does not like the mother of the child, he should support her because of the child. That is the only way you can raise a healthy child.”
Ms Onyike’s call to action serves as a reminder that child nutrition and health are collective responsibilities of the family.
By working together, both parents can ensure their children have the best start in life.
(NAN)
