NAIROBI (Xinhua) – Breastfeeding is one of the most natural ways by which a new mother can bond with her child with various health benefits having been proven to pass from mother to child through breast milk.
For some mothers however, for one reason or another, they may not be able to breastfeed their own child and someone else has to do it for them. Breastfeeding someone else’s baby may not only sound impossible but also unthinkable. The practice referred to as “wet nursing” existed centuries ago, especially in developed countries where women, especially the working mothers would employ wet nurses to feed their babies.
There are many reasons why a mother is unable to lactate or to produce sufficient breast milk. Reasons include, if the mother has a serious or chronic illness whose treatment creates a temporary difficulty to nursing. Additionally a mother who is on drugs (prescription or illegal) may necessitate the need for a wet nursing. Some women choose not to breastfeed for social reasons and status.
Wet nurses have also been used if a mother cannot produce sufficient breast milk. Any issue involving breastfeeding tends to ignite strong feelings, and the practice of nursing another woman’s baby is no exception. Many see it as a cultural taboo while others oppose it for safety reasons. Unfortunately, some women today still use the services of a wet nurse despite the health risks associated with it. Linda Oyier is a mother of two whose children have always been breastfed by a wet nurse.
This is because for one reason or the other, she is not able to produce enough milk hence her younger sister breastfed both of her children, aged 6 years and four years now. “I could not produce enough milk for my children and had to let my sister breastfeed them for me. This meant conceiving at a time when my sister was also expecting her child so that by the time we both gave birth, she could breastfeed both of our children,” said Oyier. “At first, it did not occur to me that I was exposing my children to some health risks but I am now ready to take precautions,” she added.
Wet nursing, the idea of allowing another woman to breast feed your baby leaves the uncomfortable feeling of boundaries being overstepped, of someone trespassing on a unique relationship. The practice which was common some years back has so far been discarded in the modern society due to the risk of passing on infections such as tuberculosis and even exposing the child to HIV infection.
Before the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) project was introduced slightly over a decade ago, it was estimated that close to 500,000 new HIV infections occurred in infants, most of them as a result of mother-to-child transmission(MTCT) during pregnancy, at the time of delivery or through breastfeeding. Several medical interventions have greatly helped reduce MTCT and it is planned that by 2015, Kenya will have achieved zero cases of MTCT.
However, there are a few trends which leave infants susceptible to HIV infection. Wet nursing has been identified as one of them. Women who also employ house helps to look after their new born babies have often been advised to take them for medical checkups before leaving their babies under their care. Edith Kanyingi, a mother and a Director at the Centre for Domestic Workers Training and Development based in Nairobi, said even though wet nursing has died with time, mothers should be more careful over whose care their babies are. This, she said, should however be done in a discreet way.
“Many times people take advantage of the domestic workers and subject them to HIV testing without their consent, which is not only unethical, but also illegal as it infringes on the person’s right to privacy,” said Kanyingi. “The maid’s views on the screening and her consent have to be sought and she should be counseled before the screening is done. Before the results are disclosed, she should again be counseled, supported and encouraged to get treatment and support in case she is positive. She is not obliged to disclose her status to anybody, not even her employer, unless she chooses to,” she said.
Kanyingi said there is the need for the PMTCT programme to incorporate domestic workers. “Domestic workers have been left out in the whole PMTCT campaign yet they are the ones who spend more time with the children than the mothers, especially those who are working,” said Kanyingi. (Xinhua)
