Malnutrition poses health risk in children – Expert
An expert at the Kwara State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Gbenga Bankole has decried malnutrition amongst children in society.
Dr Gbenga Bankole, who doubled as the nutrition officer at the state health, in another insightful episode of ‘Adequate Nutrition and Healthy Living,’ aired on Radio Kwara, highlighted poor weight gain, peeling of skin, recurrent infections, bonny face, hanging skin, etc. as early signs of malnutrition in children.
Dr Bankole disclosed that malnutrition is a state that reduces a child’s ability to fight infections, noting that such a child will be susceptible to infections such as upper respiratory tract infection, diarrhoea and so on, adding that malnutrition is not only caused by diet but also diseases can make a child lose weight and have low desire for food thereby encouraging mothers to fortify the meals of children who are picky eaters for an adequate diet.
“A lot of systems such as routine monitoring, growth monitoring, assessment of nutrition status amongst others, have been put in place at different Health Care Centres in the State to monitor the nutritional status of children,” the statement added.
He, however, commended the efforts of the state government under Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for ensuring a healthy state, while appealing to mothers to bring their babies to Health Care Centres for early detection of malnutrition. He recommended early initiation of breastfeeding, the introduction of complementary feeding after 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding and avoidance of force-feeding by mothers.
