In general, malnutrition is a major cause of illness and death throughout the world, and it affects both children and adults of both sexes.
Experts say the most common form of malnutrition is iron deficiency, which happens when the diet an individual eats does not provide him with adequate calories and protein for maintenance and growth; or where the victim cannot fully utilise the food s/he eats due to illness.
Malnutrition is very common among babies, with experts warning that it is implicated in more than half of all child deaths worldwide – a proportion unmatched by any infectious disease. And even though the condition is not a disease, scientists warn that it can cause diseases to occur in the undernourished persons.
Physicians say premature babies are at a higher risk of malnutrition, as are infants at the time of weaning from the breast, hence the need for mothers to take decisive steps to see that a weaned baby gets enough nourishment so that its growth is not truncated.
The UNICEF notes that the most critically vulnerable groups are developing foetuses, children up to the age of three and women before and during pregnancy, as well as mothers who are breastfeeding.
Researchers say malnutrition is especially likely to afflict children who lack nutritionally adequate diets, children that are not protected from frequent illness and those of them that do not receive adequate care.
Scientists say lack of breastfeeding leads to malnutrition in infants and children; and this affects healthy growth because such children are denied many nutrients that are critical for normal growth.
Experts counsel mothers to breastfeed their babies exclusively for the first six months of life, while they should introduce nourishing foods afterwards, with continued breastfeeding till the child is two years old.
Signs and symptoms
The signs and symptoms of malnutrition are obvious, and none of them is desirable.
Speaking at a media workshop organised by the Nestlé Nigeria PLC, Head of Nutrition at the Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Chris Isokpunwu, notes that in malnourished individuals – adult or baby – the skin may become thin, dry, inelastic, pale, and cold; and that as the fat in the face is lost, the cheeks look hollow and the eyes become sunken.
Again, he notes, the hair becomes dry and sparse, falling out easily; while the condition may also lead to unresponsiveness in severe cases. “And if calorie deficiency continues for long enough, there may be heart, liver and respiratory failure,” the physician warns.
Isokpunwu says children who are severely malnourished typically experience slow behavioural development.
Consultant in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Lagos, Dr. Mashidat Mojeed-Bello, warns that where a child is severely malnourished for an extended period of time, mental retardation may occur; and that even when treated, undernutrition (a variant of malnutrition) may have long-term effects in children, with impairments in mental function and digestive problems persisting, in some cases, for the rest of their lives.
And while adults whose severe undernourishment started during adulthood usually make a full recovery when treated, Isokpunwu says a malnourished baby is chronically vulnerable to illness.
“Malnourished children are much more likely to die as a result of a common childhood diseases than those who are adequately nourished,” he submits.
He adds that malnourished children who live past childhood face diminished futures.
“They will become adults with lower physical and intellectual abilities, lower levels of productivity and higher levels of chronic illness and disability,” he submits.
He says when a girl-child is malnourished, she can become stunted, with the attendant consequences.
“Stunting is particularly dangerous for women, as stunted women are more likely to experience obstructed labour and are thus at greater risk of dying while giving birth,” the physician laments.
Nourish your baby
Nutritionists say that providing adequate nutrition for family needs is not as expensive or difficult as people might think. They advise as follow…
Re-introduce food slowly. Don’t give them a big feast all at once, as this causes red blood cells not to be able to carry oxygen, and suffocate. Give them food that is high in nutrients first, slowly progressing to more balanced meals.
Give high nutrition food. Foods with lots of essential vitamins and nutrients will help restore strength in muscles and bones. This include dairy foods such as yoghurt; protein-rich foods such as beans, eggs, lean meat, turkey, chicken and low-mercury fish such as salmon and catfish.
They should also eat iron-rich foods because they need such to learn to do new things like walking and talking. Such foods include baby cereal, beef, boneless fish, chicken, etc.
Nutritionists say some foods stop babies and children from getting enough iron and may not be fed babies. Such foods include tea, fresh cow’s milk and powdered milk.
“Up until one year of age, cow’s milk can hurt a baby’s tummy. And even after one year of age, limit powdered milk to no more than two cups per day,” Nutritionist, Dr. Remi Omotunde, counsels.
Again, he counsels parents to give their babies fruit and vegetables on a daily basis.
Give them water and other liquids. Things like milk, juice, and water are essential for re-strengthening children. They help keep down food and give more nutrients.
Give them three meals a day. This will ensure that they will keep their strength and not become malnourished again. Make sure they eat their food, not pick at it. Feed three times a day, seven days a week.
The Communications and Public Affairs Manager, Nestlé Nigeria PLC, Dr. Samuel Adenekan, says good nutrition is vital for everyone’s health and wellbeing.
He notes, “The first 1,000 days of a child’s life are crucial to achieving optimal potential; because a healthy, balanced diet and lifestyle before and during pregnancy helps functional development of the brain, helps the immune system to develop and can decrease a child’s likelihood of being overweight or obese later in life.”
Adenekan assures that as the population grows and health care challenges increase, the intrinsic value of the company’s nutrition agenda will continue to expand.
No comments:
Post a Comment