As Nigeria joined the rest of the world to commemorate the 2013 World Breastfeeding Week, expert has described breastfeeding as the best investment in human development and key to saving over 220, 000 lives annually.

Briefing journalists in Lagos on the Week with theme: "Breastfeeding Support: Close to Mothers", Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Public Health, Dr. Yetunde Adeshina regretted that despite the importance of breastfeeding in infant nutrition, the 2011 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) indicated that the Exclusive Breastfeeding Rate in Nigeria is still as low as 15 per cent with the South West Geographical Zone Rate put at 27 percent.

Adeshina who further stressed the need to double up efforts at increasing the number of mothers, who breast exclusively, pledged the State governments support to all mothers in the state to breastfeed their babies without any form of intimidation or harassment for the optimal survival and development of the young infants.

"Breastfeeding has been categorised as an investment in human development, insurance for child survival at no premium, a worthy investment in the state's human resources, an investment for state development as well as a very crucial and necessary investment in the future," she stated.

She noted that the theme of this year's Week was to focus global attention on all levels of support for a breastfeeding mother with a consenting understanding that breastfeeding is the best investment in human development.

Throwing light on the benefits of breast feeding to the infants, she explained that breast milk itself is the gold in infant nutrition for a newborn as it possesses anti-infective properties that help to protect infants against diseases.

"The human milk differs significantly from that of animals and when compared with cow's milk, it looks watery but is the appropriate nutrition that is easier for the baby's immature stomach to digest."

Adeshina stressed that effective breastfeeding in practice and application provides sound nutrition for newborns particularly with prompt initiation to breastfeeding for the child within 30 minutes of birth.

She urged mothers to be committed to exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a child's life before adding complimentary foods which are foods consumed by the family until the child is two years of age and beyond.

Continuing she said: "Evidence abounds that poor nutrition during 1,000 days between a woman's pregnancy and a child's second birthday can result in severe and irreversible damage to a child's body and brain. These days are considered "window of opportunity" when the right nutrition should be optimal and has lifelong impact on the child's future which could help in breaking the vicious poverty cycle of the household to which the child belongs."

She appealed to private employers to create an enabling environment for breastfeeding to their female employees, thus promoting and protecting the rights of children to effective breastfeeding.