"Malnutrition caused by poor child feeding practices claims over 10 times as many lives as actual famine," says researcher William Chandler. "Coupled with diarrheal dehydration, malnutrition is the leading killer in the world." Often, the 'poor feeding practices' begin in infancy.
Breast milk is the ideal food for most infants because it contains all the needed nutrients. It is easily and rapidly digested. It is always fresh and at the right temperature. It contains antibodies that protect and help the baby to build up resistance to infections. Breast-feeding also provides an infant with loving attention, essential to emotional development.
As women take on secular jobs, however, breast-feeding declines in many developing countries. Consequently, many African babies are fed powdered formulas. Such formulas are nutritious when correctly prepared under sanitary conditions. "In poor areas of the world, however," reported Time magazine, "that is sometimes impossible. Mothers may unknowingly mix powdered formula with contaminated water or, to save money, dilute it too much." The results can be deadly.
Queen, a Nigerian mother of seven, recalls that hospital nurses introduced her babies to bottle-feeding right from the start. Queen continued the procedure at home. However, her six children all suffered from serious and repeated diarrhea--one almost died. Her husband says: "We realized that our sixth child was being infected through the feeding bottle, so we stopped using it, and she recovered. Now Queen is breast-feeding our seventh child during its first few months."
The message? Put your baby to the breast as soon as possible! Eat a balanced diet yourself so that you can produce healthy milk. A side benefit of breast-feeding is that it tends to delay the onset of menstruation after the birth of a baby. It is thus called nature's contraceptive.
Feed Them Right!
Sometimes, though, African children are fed breast milk exclusively well into their 18th month of life. "When weaned," says William Chandler, "many children are given adult foods they cannot chew or digest, or that are unnourished."
UNICEF's office in C繫te d'Ivoire produced a poster that advises mothers: "After five months, more than the breast." Mother's milk should be supplemented by fruit, cereals, and vegetables that have been cooked and strained and that are thus soft enough to be chewed and swallowed by an infant. A Nigerian mother named Ijeoma breast-fed each of her four children during their first four months. She continued breast-feeding for up to 12 months, gradually replacing it by spoon- or bottle-fed meals of fruit juices, pap, and other preparations. She observed strict hygiene in preparing meals. The result? Her children have grown up healthy and have had few infections.
As the child grows, a balanced diet will help him stay healthy. A meal of only carbohydrates, such as yams, cassava, or polished rice, will not provide sufficient nutrition. His body also needs proteins, vitamins, and minerals, which are found in meat, eggs, milk, beans, corn, and a variety of vegetables and fruits.
Important too is how food is handled and stored. It may seem tempting to use spoilable food that has been left standing unrefrigerated for a couple of days, but do not use it! "Contaminated food is frequently unsafe and may lead to repeated attacks of diarrhea and other infectious diseases." Therefore, (1) wash your hands before touching or preparing foods. (2) Eat food immediately after it is cooked--don't let it stand for long at room temperature. (3) Keep your kitchen, your cooking utensils, your clothes, and yourself clean and tidy at all times.--World Health magazine.
Germs and parasites abound in polluted water. So filter or boil water before using it. Rinse eating utensils with boiling water, and wash your hands before handling food.
Indeed, perhaps the simplest health safeguard is to maintain a high standard of cleanliness. In developing lands, though, this can be a real challenge.
A survey of developing lands revealed that in Latin America, the majority of mothers want no more children. "Only in Africa did a decided minority of the women have this view."--State of the World 1985, Worldwatch Institute.
