• Health experts in Bauchi have debunked the belief that breastfeeding causes breasts to sag, explaining that breast sagging happens naturally with age and should not discourage mothers from exclusively breastfeeding their babies.
• The experts urged mothers to begin breastfeeding immediately after delivery and continue for up to two years alongside complementary feeding, while the advice sparked mixed reactions across social media.

Health experts have advised mothers not to deny their babies exclusive breastfeeding because of the belief that breastfeeding causes breasts to sag, stressing that breast sagging is a natural process that occurs with age.

The advice was given on Monday during the flag-off of the 2026 World Breastfeeding Week in Bauchi, where medical professionals emphasized the importance of exclusive breastfeeding for a child’s healthy growth and development.

Speaking at a press briefing, the Executive Chairman of the Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Board, Dr. Rilwanu Mohammed, dismissed the long-held misconception linking breastfeeding to sagging breasts.

“Breastfeeding is not what makes your breasts fall. Your breasts naturally fall with age whether you give it to your children or not,” Mohammed said.

He warned that denying babies exclusive breastfeeding could expose them to malnutrition and other preventable childhood illnesses.

Also speaking, UNICEF Bauchi Field Office Chief, Dr. Nuzhat Rafique, described breastfeeding as a proven life-saving practice. She explained that this year’s theme, “Breastfeeding for a Sustainable Start in Life: Strengthen What Works,” highlights the need to strengthen interventions that improve child nutrition.

Rafique encouraged mothers to begin breastfeeding immediately after birth, avoid giving newborns…