Why We Need To Raise Healthy Children

Why We Need To Raise Healthy Children

Good nutrition is the foundation for good health. Its gains are enormous. In this piece, WINIFRED OGBEBO discusses the benefits of a well-nourished child to the society.
Children are the future of humanity as well as the assurance of the continuity of the human race. Yet, they are the most vulnerable members of the society.

An associate professor and head of the department of mass communication, University of Lagos, Abigael Ogwezzy-Ndisika said the kind of leaders Nigeria would have in the future would depend on the kind of children it has today.

“Abused, maltreated and neglected children become stunted emotionally and physically and lack the confidence to face life. They are therefore deprived of the opportunity to develop their full potentials,” she explained, justifying why children should be carefully nurtured, physically and mentally.

The Child Rights Law makes for the provision of the right conducive and enabling environment that would foster a well-rounded happy child. It includes child’s right to survival, development, protection and participation, while survival includes the rights of the child to life, good health, balanced nutrition and related matters.

Malnutrition among children is a serious problem across the country. Each year, about one million Nigerian children die before their fifth birthday and malnutrition contributes to nearly half of these deaths.

A medical doctor, Nelvin Eze described malnutrition as a condition that occurs when people consistently do not consume or absorb the right amounts and types of food and essential nutrients. According to him, it contributes to nearly half of all child deaths, which is more than three million children each year globally.

Eze gave the main indicator of childhood malnutrition as stunting, when children are too short for their age. “Stunted children have poor physical growth and brain development, preventing them from thriving and living up to their full potential,” he pointed out.

With over 11 million stunted children, Nigeria is facing a crisis of malnutrition and ranks second behind India among all countries with the highest number of stunted children. The most recent national survey states that 37 percent of children under five years are stunted and 21 percent are severely stunted. Children in rural areas are more likely to be stunted with about 43 percent than those in urban areas with 26 percent.

A publication on the level of malnutrition in different states of the federation pointed to varying degree of stunting at the state level with Kebbi having the highest level proportion of stunted children (61 percent), followed closely by Jigawa and Katsina (59 percent), Kaduna (57 percent) and Zamfara (56 percent). A total of 10 states have about half of children under five stunted, including Sokoto (52 percent), Bauchi (51 percent), Yobe (49 percent), and Kano and Gombe (48 percent). Four states, namely Plateau, Nasarawa, Adamawa and Niger have about one-third of children under five stunted, while seven others, Oyo, Kwara, Borno, Ondo, Ogun, Kogi, and Benue have an estimated one-quarter of children stunted.

Although the remaining southern states have the lowest chronic malnutrition levels, stunting is still a serious challenge, with about one in every six children stunted. Enugu State has the lowest proportion of stunted children at 12 percent.

Making a presentation entitled “Malnutrition: The silent crisis,” in a workshop recently in Abuja, a deputy director, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Chris Isokpunwa, listed a number of factors that contribute to Nigeria’s ongoing struggle with malnutrition.

“Parents and caregivers are not well-informed about appropriate feeding practices so there’s little understanding about the essential types and varieties of foods that children require to grow healthy.

“Also, food and security is a harsh reality in Nigeria. Environmental degradation, low-nutrient crops, and high food prices limit access to food sources like protein and foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals, thus increasing poor nutrition outcomes among women, children and families,” he pointed out.

The intergenerational cycle of growth failure shows that malnutrition is cyclical and can be transferred from generation to generation. Isokpunwa said investments in nutrition pay for themselves and produce a lifetime of benefits for individuals, families and nations.

“Well-nourished children will have improved brain and physical development; they will develop good motor skills, have stronger immune systems to fight off infection and disease, and have sharper mental abilities,” he noted.

Education-wise, the deputy director said healthier children will be better able to focus and learn, and will thus have improved school performance and complete more years in school.

“Improvements in school performance and completion will lead to increased job opportunities and personal income, adding at least 10 percent to lifetime earnings and helping families step out of the cycle of poverty,” he further stated.

According to Isokpunwa, well-nourished, well-educated children will grow into a more productive labour force as adults as improvements in nutrition could lead to a boost in GDP growth by as much as 11 percent annually.

“Also, investments in nutrition produce returns up to 25 times greater than the initial investment. For every N100,000 spent, we generate N2.5 million in economic returns,” he said and proffered four proven strategies that can protect mothers and children from malnutrition.

“Mothers should put babies to the breast in the first half-hour after birth and breastfeed them exclusively for the first six months without any other foods or liquids- not even one drop of water.

“After the first six months of life, mothers should start giving their children sufficient quantities of a variety of healthy foods, such as fruits, vegetables, eggs, and meat, along with continued breastfeeding for up to two years or beyond.

“Mothers and children should be ensured access to essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients.

“Parents and caregivers should be given up-to-date information on infant and young child feeding practices, as well as the support that they need to feed their children in the best way possible,” he added.

Nutrition in children is so important that it should be taken up with the seriousness it deserves, realing that how a child eats today will have an impact on his or her health throughout adolescence and adulthood. It will no doubt determine the level and quality of his or her contribution to national development.

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