Monrovia- March 24, 2022: Members of the House of Representatives on Tuesday, March 22, have approved a bill compelling mothers to breastfeed their babies (infants) for the first six months of a baby’s life.

The law set up a gauge to regulate food for toddlers or infants or young children to substitute breast milk when the need arises.

The law also would bind (mandate) public and private institutions including learning institutions to create ‘nursery’ for the breastfeeding mothers.

The House passed the Breastfeeding, Regulation of Baby’s Food Bill following a report by the Joint Committee on Health, Ways, Means, Finance & Development Planning and Judiciary. The bill spent seven months in Committee’s room.

The motion for passage on the 19th day sitting, March 22 was proffered by Montserrado County District #8 Representative Acarous M. Gray.

It may be recalled, Rivercess County District #2 Representative Byron W. Zahwea on Thursday, August 26, introduced the legislation to ensure that marketing of requisite substitutes for breast milk is properly regulated to avoid the import and sale of substances that might affect infants and young children.

According to the House’s ratified version of the law: “Breastfeeding is an integral part of human (Infants and young children) existence on earth; breast milk supplies, among other things, nutrients in the proper proportion which, if must be replaced, should be done with a substance that serves the same purpose as breast milk, considering that it is imperative for the replacement of breast milk when there exists medical or other situations that threaten the survival of an infant’s or young child’s life.”