Breast milk pump - courtesy image

Health and nutrition experts are urging working mothers in South Sudan to express and safely store breast milk to ensure their babies continue receiving the full benefits of breastfeeding, even when they’re away at work.

Elizabeth Athanasius, a nutrition officer at World Vision, says mothers should express breast milk into clean, transparent containers and store it in a cool, safe place before leaving for work.

This allows caregivers to feed the baby with breast milk throughout the day.

“Before leaving for work, express breast milk into a clean, transparent container. Store it in a safe, cool place, and ensure the caregiver knows to feed the baby with the expressed milk while you’re away. Continue this routine daily, and when you return home, resume direct breastfeeding,” she said.

Nutrition assistant Jackline Phanuel warns that expressed breast milk should be used within six to eight hours.

She says if it’s kept longer than that, it can become unsafe for babies and may lead to diarrhea or other illnesses.

“Expressed breast milk should be stored in a clean container and used within 6 to 8 hours. If it stays beyond that time, it should be discarded to prevent the risk of diarrhea in the baby,” she added.

Both specialists strongly discourage introducing other types of milk or food before the baby reaches six months of age.

Exclusive breastfeeding is the global recommendation for the first half of a child’s life to ensure proper growth and immunity.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health has continued to urge mothers across South Sudan to practice exclusive breastfeeding, saying it not only improves health but also strengthens mother-child bonds.

However, workplace policies are proving to be a challenge. A recent study shows that many lactating women across the country cannot breastfeed continuously due to a lack of support at their jobs.

In 2018, the exclusive breastfeeding rate in South Sudan was around 78 percent.

Today, it has dropped to just 60 percent, a worrying trend that suggests four out of every ten babies may not be getting the nutrition they need in their first months of life.

Health workers are calling for stronger workplace policies, public awareness campaigns, and support systems to help mothers continue breastfeeding, both at home and at work.