Experts have, on several occasions, drawn the attention of mothers to some basic child care from infancy to a certain stage in growth to ensure effective survival and development.<\/p>\n
Their recommendations include good nutrition to prevent malnutrition which they describe as cause of more than 2.6 million deaths among children yearly.<\/p>\n
Also worrisome is a Nestl\u00e9 Feeding Infants and Toddlers\u2019 study which states that children in most developing countries are not getting the nutrition they need in the first 1,000 days of life.<\/p>\n
For instance, in 2005, one-third of children under five in developing countries are estimated to be stunted because of poor feeding and infections, according to the study.<\/p>\n
Paediatricians have also raised concerns over poor attitudes of most mothers to adhering to the recommended feeding practices, especially exclusive breast-feeding, a practice of feeding the baby only with the mother\u2019s breast-milk in the first six months of life.<\/p>\n
They note that the UN Children\u2019s Fund (UNICEF) report indicates that out 136.7 million babies born worldwide yearly, only 32.6 per cent of them are breast-fed exclusively.<\/p>\n
In their view, exclusive breast-feeding then becomes imperative in view of the 2008 Lancet Nutrition Series\u2019 report on its roles in child survival and development.<\/p>\n
The report, among other things, states that \u201ca non-breast-fed child is 14 times more likely to die in the first six months than an exclusively breast-fed child.<\/p>\n
\u201cBreast-feeding needs to be valued as a benefit which is not only good for babies, mothers and families, but also as a saving for governments in the long run.\u201d<\/p>\n
Also, Save the Children, an international Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), observes that if all children in the developing world receive adequate complementary feeding, stunting rates at 12 months would have been reduced by 20 per cent.<\/p>\n
However, a nutritionist, Dr Jummai Hassan, says that poor health of the mother, including diseases that were not adequately treated before or during pregnancy, may as well contribute to newborn deaths.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe risk of childbearing for the mother and her baby can be reduced greatly when a woman is healthy and well-nourished before becoming pregnant,\u201d she notes.<\/p>\n
Hassan says that regular maternity care by a trained health worker for at least four times during every pregnancy could reduce child mortality.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter birth, the woman and her baby are required to have access to specialised care if there are complications.\u201d<\/p>\n
Realising the importance of awareness campaign in ensuring child survival and development, the Federal Ministry of Health recently inaugurated \u201cSaving One Million Lives\u201d programme in Nigeria.<\/p>\n
It is aimed at improving women and children\u2019s health, and serve as a model to improve delivery of healthcare.<\/p>\n
The programme Country Director, Mrs Susan Grant, says effective medicare during the first 1,000 days of a child\u2019s life can save more than two million lives worldwide yearly.<\/p>\n
According to her, it is unfortunate that in Nigeria, a woman dies every 10 minutes from complications related to childbirth.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen mothers have access to healthcare, education and livelihoods and productive economic opportunities, their children will also have the best chance to survive,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Dr David Olayemi, the Programme Director of \u201cSave the Children, an NGO, calls for increased funding from government to fight malnutrition.<\/p>\n
He says that proper and adequate nutrition for mother and child should include exclusive breast- feeding.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe point we are making is that out of the one million children\u2019s lives to be saved annually worldwide, only 13 per cent of Nigerian women practise exclusive breast-feeding, leaving out 87 per cent women who do not practise it,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
He notes that the issue of stunted growth among children may reduce by 20 per cent through adequate feeding.<\/p>\n
However, Prof. Joseph Olusanya, the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun, says good nutrition is not only for the babies, but will reduce the risk of heart diseases, cancer and stroke in old age.<\/p>\n
He says that nutrition during adulthood can support active lifestyle, contribute to the maintenance of healthy weight, promote physical and mental health and wellbeing.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood nutrition during adulthood can, therefore, be described as an investment in healthy old age,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
Olusanya, however, points out that the result of Nigeria\u2019s demographic survey conducted in 2008 shows a high prevalence of malnutrition in the country.<\/p>\n
The result indicates that 41 per cent of children under five were stunted and 23 per cent were severely stunted.<\/p>\n
Olusanya also identifies poverty as one of the major factors affecting good nutrition from childhood to adulthood.<\/p>\n
Dr Margaret Chan, the Director-General of the World Health Organisation, calls for optimal infant feeding practices to reduce malnutrition and poverty.<\/p>\n
It is also important for governments at all level to support exclusive breast-feeding and indigenous complementary feeding afterwards.<\/p>\n
\u201cNutrition and nurturing during the first years of life are both crucial for life-long health and wellbeing.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn infancy, no gift is more precious than breast-feeding; yet barely one in three infants is exclusively breast-fed during the first six months of life\u201d she remarks.<\/p>\n
Observers, however, believe that if developing countries such as Nigeria should encourage and fund integrated national nutrition plans for maternal and child health, in addition to other intervention strategies, child mortality will be reduced drastically.<\/p>\n
Kolade writes with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Tosin Kolade<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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