Fatoumata Z Coulibaly | January 16, 2025
News Brief
After her first child suffered from malnutrition, Hamsétou Ouattara Diarra from the village of Fatiné, Mali, knew she had to make a change. Following advice from a nutritionist, she exclusively breastfed her second child for six months and later supplemented with millet porridge, eggs, and fresh fruits. With her husband’s support and a focus on balanced nutrition, Mrs. Diarra ensured her daughter thrived. Now four years old, her daughter remains healthy and strong, a testament to the power of proper nutrition and family support in early childhood.
The village of Fatiné is located in the Ségou region in central Mali, about 60 kilometres from the commune of Ségou. It is 5 p.m., and the heat of the sun’s final rays is gradually fading, giving way to a cool breeze. Here and there, residents hurry to return to their families. Hamsétou Ouattara Diarra is preparing porridge made from millet for the family’s youngest child, who is four.
Mrs. Diarra says, “Our first child suffered from malnutrition. This time, I am closely monitoring my child’s nutrition.” When Mrs. Diarra gave birth to her second child, she opted for exclusive breastfeeding. She explains that, following the advice of a nutritionist, she breastfed her baby at least eight times a day without giving any water or additional food during the first six months.
When Mrs. Diarra’s baby turned six months old, she supplemented breastfeeding with semi-liquid foods. She explains: “I added millet porridge, eggs, fresh vegetables, and fruits to my child’s diet.” To ease the baby’s digestion, she gave heavier foods like porridge during the day and lighter foods like mashed carrots or orange, or pineapple juice in the evening.
She says that with this method, her baby thrived and grew well. Mrs. Diarra says, “At six months, my child weighed over nine kilograms, unlike some other children her age in the area.” She followed this diet for her baby until the age of two. She adds, “Over time, my baby developed a taste for food and began participating in family meals. By the age of two, she stopped breastfeeding on her own without pressure.”
Mrs. Diarra explains that she was able to follow this routine thanks to her husband’s support. She says, “My husband was by my side during feeding and weaning. He helped me care for our child, even preparing her porridge sometimes.”
Mahamadou Diarra accompanied her to every appointment with the nutritionist. He believes that men should be more involved in their children’s nutrition.
Dr. Yacouba Diakité is the nutrition focal point at the Regional Health Directorate for the Ségou region. He explains that exclusive breastfeeding involves feeding infants only breast milk during the first six months of life. He advises women to adopt this method because breast milk is sufficient to meet all of an infant’s nutritional needs during this critical stabilization period. It also contains essential nutrients that support the baby’s growth and provide protection against diseases.
Dr. Diakité adds that in exclusive breastfeeding, the mother must breastfeed between six and eight times within a 24-hour period. He highlights that other types of feeding, such as mixed feeding, involve combining breast milk with complementary foods like formula, water, or solid foods. However, he strongly supports exclusive breastfeeding as the best option for infants.
For proper growth, Dr. Diakité recommends introducing semi-liquid foods from the age of six months, while continuing to breastfeed until 24 months or beyond. Examples of semi-liquid foods include porridge made from local cereals, grated vegetables, and fruits such as carrots and papaya. Liquid foods include fruit juices.
Today, Mrs. Diarra’s daughter is thriving and remains in excellent health. Mrs. Diarra attributes this to the nutritionist’s advice. She concludes by encouraging other mothers to opt for exclusive breastfeeding and to follow nutritionists’ advice to ensure their children grow up healthy.
This resource has been produced thanks to the “HÉRÈ – Bien-être des femmes au Mali” initiative, which aims to improve the well-being of women and girls in terms of sexual and reproductive health, and to strengthen the prevention of and response to gender-based violence in the regions of Sikasso, Ségou, Mopti and the district of Bamako in Mali. The project is being implemented by the HÉRÈ – MSI Mali Consortium, in partnership with Radios Rurales Internationales (RRI) and Women in Law and Development in Africa (WiLDAF), with funding from Global Affairs Canada.