By Olutayo Irantiola

There was an endless contest between Adejoke, the mother of the baby (name withheld), and Mama Adesewa, the mother of Adejoke, over the best way to take care of the new baby. Mama Adesewa was giving her daughter the childcare instructions as it was handed over to her by her mother, while Adejoke was verifying all the facts on Google. In Adejoke’s words, “how you trained me is not the same way in which I will train my child. Times have changed and I need to give my child the best.”

This is a new wave of happenings when a first-time mother delivers a child. The contest for giving the child the best of nutrition is always a hurdle for the new mother while the Grandmothers would want to bring their experience to bear. Interestingly, people who survived the old methods of feeding children with “pap” when they are held within their mother’s laps and forcefully fed believe that they can survive anything.

According to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, “every infant and child has the right to good nutrition.” Undernutrition is associated with 45 percent of child death. There are many reasons for poor diets which is a leading cause of malnutrition in all its forms- globalization, urbanization, inequities, environmental crisis, epidemics, and humanitarian emergencies- that undermine families’ access to nutritious, safe, and affordable foods. The COVID-19 pandemic worsened the pre-existing crisis of child malnutrition, threatening family livelihood, disrupting the availability and affordability of nutritious and safe diets.

Good nutrition is the bedrock of child survival and development. Child nutrition begins from the gestational stage till birth. According to UNICEF, Micronutrient deficiencies are caused by inadequate intake of one or more vitamins and minerals essential for preventing malnutrition in all its forms and reducing disease prevalence, especially during pregnancy and early childhood. Some of the known deficiencies in babies include Iodine deficiency, Vitamin A deficiency amongst others. These are necessary for the survival and growth of the child while even in the mother. The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified Vitamin A deficiency as a public health problem affecting about one-third of children between 6-59 months, the highest rate of 48 percent in the world is located in sub-Saharan Africa.

If a woman is malnourished during pregnancy or if her child is malnourished in the first two years of life, the child’s physical and mental growth and development may be slowed. It is very important for a child to be given the age appropriate nutrition because if this is not done, it will negatively affect the children for the rest of his or her life. Unfortunately, these conditions cannot be reversed. However, with the introduction of Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid essential for brain development during pregnancy and early childhood, a child is being prepared for a smart healthy life. During pregnancy, people are advised to take prenatal supplements, which can also be milk, containing 200mg to 300mg of DHA due to its benefits on brain development. It is linked to improved heart health, better vision and reduced inflammatory response.

When the child survives the hurdles of prenatal, postnatal care is also important in childcare. With all the advocacies on the need to breastfeed children, 44 percent of infants between 0-6 months old are exclusively breastfed. As recommended by WHO and UNICEF, the child should be initiated into breastfeeding within 1 hour of birth and should be exclusively fed for 6 months of life, thereafter, nutritionally-adequate and safe complementary (solid) foods and milk for kids can be introduced at 6 months together with continued breastfeeding up to 2 years of age. Over 820,000 children’s lives could be saved annually if all children between 0-23 months were optimally breastfed. Infant and young child feeding is a key area to improve child survival and promote healthy growth and development. The first two years of a child’s life are particularly important, as optimal nutrition during this period lowers morbidity and mortality, reduces the risk of chronic disease, and fosters better development overall.

Toddlers make a transition from dependent milk-fed infancy to independent feeding and a typical omnivorous diet. This stage is a good time for physicians to monitor growth using growth charts and body mass index to make recommendations for healthy living. When the child becomes a toddler, it is important to continue healthy eating. If the quest of a young mother is to raise a smart child, such child needs to feed on a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods, and dairy. When deciding on foods and beverages, choose options that are full of nutrients and lower in sodium. It is very crucial to have toddlers sit at a table for meals and not wander around with food in their mouths as some food items can be choking. When attempting to introduce new foods to a child, it may take up to 8-10 tries for a child to accept it.

At least one in three children under the age of 5 are affected by malnutrition in its most visible forms: stunting, wasting, and being overweight. Globally in 2020, 149 million children under the age of 5 were estimated to be stunted, 45 million were estimated to be wasted and 38.9 million were overweight or obese. The less visible forms of malnutrition, such as hidden hunger, can occur when children become deficient in essential vitamins and other micronutrients. Child nutrition is important at every age; this would make the child stay smart, healthy and strong. 

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends whole milk for babies 12 to 24 months unless the baby is gaining too much weight. In Nigeria, FrieslandCampina WAMCO, has developed well researched products to take care of the needs of babies; infants and even up to the age of 6. These products include the Peak Baby is recommended for babies between 0-12 months while Peak 123 is recommended for babies from 1 year to 3 years of age which Peak 456 for children between the ages 4-6. All these products have the DHA advantage for growing kids because they have been developed to ensure that children have access to products that will improve the quality of their lives with all their nutritional value for good health. 

Well-nourished children are better able to grow, learn, play and participate in their communities. They are also more resilient in the face of any health crisis. Yet today, many children are not getting the nutrition they need to survive and thrive. This is especially true for the poorest and most vulnerable children. 

Young mothers, Grandmothers, and Caregivers are responsible for providing appropriate foods in a proper setting, structuring mealtimes, and responding to behaviour. They should not just be concerned about meal refusal, erratic appetites, preferences for sweet food, and undisciplined table behaviour. 

Adejoke has read online; she has increased her knowledge base from the time she got married; she has decided to stock her home with all the essential products of FrieslandCampina WAMCO at every stage of her baby’s growth. She had made up her mind to give her best as she nurtures her baby. With great intentions just like her Mum, Mama Adesewa who gave her very best while raising her children.

Across generations, every mother has access to knowledge about food choices, feeding, and healthcare practices that will determine the nutritional intake which will definitely lead to the anticipated outcome for her child, especially in a developing nation like Nigeria. However, it is important to get it right so that we would raise smart and healthy children who will change the health indices of the nation.

Olutayo Irantiola blogs on www.peodavies.com