World Population Day - 2012 Theme: Universal Access to Reproductive Health Services

          "On this World Population Day, I call for urgent, concerted action by Member States to bridge the     gap between demand and supply for reproductive health care. We must mainstream reproductive health and rights into all development and poverty reduction plans. Investing in universal access to reproductive health is a crucial investment in healthy societies and a more sustainable future."

                                                                                    Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
                                                                                    Message for World Population Day
                                                                                                                     11 July 2012

2012 Theme: Universal Access to Reproductive Health Services

As the world population edged to 7 billion people in 2011 (up from 2.5 billion in 1950), it has had profound implications for development. A world of 7 billion is both a challenge and an opportunity with implications on sustainability, urbanization, access to health services and youth empowerment.

Studies Show that Nigeria Has The Highest Twinning Rate In The World

   A multiple pregnancy means that a woman has two or more babies in her uterus. These babies can come from the same egg or from different eggs. The occurrence and frequency of twinning, however, varies across human populations. The maternal age, socio-environmental factors, increase in the use of contraceptives, the race of human population, increase in the spontaneous abortion rate, and seasonal variations are among the factors that could influence twinning rate.

 
Information on twinning rates in southwest Nigeria is limited.

Delivery Rate   :
     A frequency of twin births of 46.5 per 1000 deliveries and 46.2 per 1000 deliveries was recorded for Ilesa and Ile-Ife respectively.
    The incidence of twinning among the races of the world has been extensively studied. Worldwide changes have occurred in the pattern of twinning rates in recent decades. The highest twinning rate is observed to occur among the Negroids, while the lowest occurred among the Mongoloid population. In Nigeria, the incidence of twinning was estimated to be 45‰.

Breastfeeding . Why Human milk is irreplaceable?

World Breastfeeding Week  1–7 August 2011

      World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated every year from 1 to 7 August in more than 120 countries to encourage breastfeeding and improve the health of babies around the world. It commemorates the Innocenti Declaration made by WHO and UNICEF policy-makers in August 1990 to protect, promote and support breastfeeding.

      Breastfeeding is the best way to provide newborns with the nutrients they need. WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding until a baby is six months old, and continued breastfeeding with the addition of nutritious complementary foods for up to two years or beyond.

Introduction to Breastfeeding

          Breast milk is thought to be the best form of nutrition for neonates and infants. The properties of human milk facilitate the transition of life from in utero to ex utero. This dynamic fluid provides a diverse array of bioactive substances to the developing infant during critical periods of brain, immune, and gut development. The clinician must be familiar with how the mammary gland produces human milk and how its properties nourish and protect the breastfeeding infant.