Chioma Obinna
29 April 2008
Lagos — With malnutrition contributing 54 per cent of under-five mortality rates in the country, Nutritional experts at a one- day media workshop on "Infant nutrition and young child feeding in Nigeria" have blamed the present poor nutritional statistics on Nigerians ignorant of the basic fundamental principles of nutrition, particularly at the policy implementation level.
The experts also advocated for the creation of more awareness on the concept of nutrition in terms of food, healthcare and environment hygiene.
MSF therapeutic feeding center in Biu hospital, Borno state, Northern Nigeria: The nutritional status of a child is checked by using the MUAC (Middle-Upper-Arm Circumference) bracelet. Photo: Ton Koene
According to them, malnutrition is preventable if proper attention is paid to nutrition related issues.
Addressing the participants at the workshop organized by Nestle Nigeria Plc, in Lagos, Managing Director of Nestle, Mr. Martin Woolnough who reiterated that breast milk is the best nutritional option for infants stressed that accurate and sufficient information is necessary in the nutrition needs of children
Recognizing also the challenges and plight of other infants who may not resort to breast milk alternatives due to some medical reasons, Woolnough said Nestle would continue to invest enough resources in researches that would in turn provide good nutritional products for Nigerians.
His words, "About 25 per cent of researches are on Infant nutrition. We have a responsibility to help children with good or nutrition problems by providing information both for adult and other stakeholders.
In his paper titled; Child nutrition Situation in Nigeria," The president of Federation of African Nutrition Societies, Prof. Tola Atinomo who was also the chairman of the workshop, declared nutrition situations in Nigeria as "silent emergency."
Prof. Atinomo regretted that the silent emergency like nutrition, unfortunately does not attract the required attention when compared to a national tragedy like airplane disaster.
Noting that one out of every five children dies before their fifth birthday, he lamented that nutritional deprivation starts in uterus in Nigeria
To reverse the trend, he recommended that there is need to integrate nutrition into every aspect of national development and development of more man power in the field of nutrition to provide adequate information to people on good nutrition and how to attain it.
Dismissing the age- long belief that there is no significant difference between food and nutrition, he warned that good food does not guarantee good nutritional status, adding that nutrition should be established on three fundamentals which include; food consumed, available healthcare services and basic environmental sanitation.
Also speaking, a consultant Peadiatrician and former CMD, Imo State Hospital Board, Dr. Joe Orisakwe in his paper titled, "Physiology of the Child with Reference to Nutrition" who noted that a newborn has an innate capacity to breath but wholly dependent on his care -giver for adequate nutrition, the baby unlike the adult has to contend with growth and so an understanding of nutrition is of special relevance in the early stages of life.
Orisakwe explained that individual's nutritional requirements vary among individuals because of genetic and metabolic differences and requirements are expected to assist in the growth and lack of deficiency states.
"Good nutrition contributes to the prevention of acute and chronic illness and the development of physical and mental potential and should provide reserves for stress. We should be able to develop dietary allowances for a number of substances that prevent deficiency states for most of the population.
Except for human milk no other food appears to supply all the essential s for any age group for a prolonged period. Since substances are stored by the body more readily than others, certain essentials may be supplied periodically and others daily."
Prof. Kikelomo Osinusi from the Dept. of Peadiatrics, College of Medicine Ibadan, in her paper titled, "Breast feeding and the history of Infant" noted that 1.5 million infant lives can be saved annually by optimal breast-feeding practices.
She stated that breast milk contains all the food nutrients of a newborn, enhances and maintains good health, prevents depletion of nutrients as well as ensures optimal growth and development.
Corroborating her views, Prof. James Renner noted that government should ensure that objectives and consistent information are provided on infant and young child feeding.
Renner who is the Chairman Advisory board of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) spoke on "WHO CODE/Local Regulation on Marketing of BMS in the light of MDG4" warned that the code for BMS specified warnings and that information must not idealize the use of breast milk substitutes.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 Vanguard. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
