Ample nutrition crucial for child in first 1,000 days, experts say

Shade Adeoye, a businesswoman felt a little emotional about having to stop breastfeeding her eight months old son. “Even though I have fed him for over six months, I felt I had not given him enough nutrients and I also knew that I couldn’t produce enough milk to keep him happy.

“At first, I felt like I had not treated him fairly but my husband comforted me and reassured me that I have not done badly so far. He encouraged me to pat myself on the back for breastfeeding as long as I did and know that there will be other avenues for bonding with my son.

“Now, while feeding him with the bottle, I hold him close as if I am breast-feeding him, but he still gets that cuddling effect. I love the way he smiles and looks straight into my eyes while feeding him, I feel consoled,” she said.

Linda Okelue works in the corporate world. “When I had my first baby, I breast-fed him for 6 months. It wasn’t easy for me because of the nature of my job. With my second child, I opted for squeezing out the breast milk and refrigerating it.

“My mother helps to cater for her when I am at work. When my mother wants to feed her, she removes it from the fridge, makes it warm and feeds her. It is certainly not the same as breast-feeding my baby directly but I prefer that she takes breast milk rather than supplementing it with others, especially now that she is just five months old.”

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Experts have said that mothers should start breastfeeding within the first thirty minutes after birth to allow the baby suck the colostrum- the yellow and thick milk secreted for the first few days after delivery.

Colostrum contains antibodies and white blood cells than later become milk. It gives the baby the first immunisation against bacteria and virus. At least 50 brain neurotransmitters are affected by the intake of nutrients in the first 1,000 days and inability to provide adequate nutrient for proper development of the brain leads to insult in the brain – reduces IQ by 13.5 points, effect is irreversible.

Malnutrition is responsible for a lot of child deaths worldwide. In Nigeria, malnutrition is responsible for more than 54% of child deaths. According to a 2006 article in the ‘Independent’ that outlined the findings of a United Nations report, “10 children die every minute as a result of malnutrition.” says Ngozi Nnam, a professor, President, Nutrition Society of Nigeria.

She added that “about 2.3 million child deaths occur every year with tangible impacts on economic and social development- could undermine future earning potential by 20% and inhibit economic growth by as much as 3% of GDP while proper child nutrition increases a country’s GDP by at least 2-3% annually.”

For Sola Kusimo, a paediatrician, “it is important that children feed well. Today, under-nutrition is still a leading cause of maternal and children’s death throughout the world. The first 1,000 days of life of a child is crucial and cannot be ignored.

“Exclusive breast-feeding from 0-6 months should be practised by mothers, adequate complementary food and breast-feeding should continue from 6-24 months and children should be provided with good care and health services. Diseases like anaemia, vitamin A deficiency, kwashiorkor, marasmus, etc are likely diseases that the child is opened to if not properly fed.”

Chioma Emma-Nwachukwu, scientific and external affairs manager, Nestle Nigeria, says that up to 70% of brain development happens during pregnancy, 15% during the first year of life, development of brain almost completed by second birthday.

“For infants and children under the age of two, the consequences of under-nutrition are particularly severe, often irreversible, and have adverse implications for the future. In pregnancy, under-nutrition can have a devastating impact on the healthy growth and development of a child. That is why mothers are encouraged to eat well.

Ngozi insists that “babies who are malnourished in the womb have a higher risk of dying in infancy and are more likely to face lifelong cognitive and physical deficits and chronic health problems. It is important to ensure adequate nutrition from 12-24 months. Breast-feeding could continue beyond second birthday if the mother desires and complementary food should be nutritionally adequate in all nutrients and child must have gotten used to a variety of family foods.”

“If the child doesn’t eat well, it can lead to malnutrition leading to inadequate growth and development – stunting, wasting and underweight. The consequences of malnutrition are permanent and often passed down from mother to child.”