By Tatiana Mhararira
In a shocking report, 40 percent of new born babies in Masvingo are said to be consuming other foods in first three days against the standard six months of exclusive breastfeeding.
According to the Zimbabwe Livelihoods Assessment Committee (ZIMLAC) Urban Nutrition Assessment Report report, nationally, 31 percent of children had consumed other foods within the first three days after birth while Masvingo and Mashonaland East recorded 40percent and 35percent respectively of the highest proportions of children who consumed other foods within the first three days.
“Nationally, 31percent of children had consumed other foods within the first three days after birth. Masvingo (40percent) and Mashonaland East (35percent) reported the highest proportions of children who consumed other foods within the first 3 days,” read the report.
From the same report Masvingo topped child food poverty at 58percent meaning that it had the highest proportion of children aged 6 to 23 months who had severe food poverty.
“Masvingo (58.2percent) and Matabeleland North (55.8percent) had the highest proportion of children aged 6 to 23 months who had severe food poverty,” read the report.
The report emphasized that children under 6 months should be exclusively breastfed, as giving other foods interferes with proper breastfeeding.
“Children below six months should not be given anything other than breast milk because it interferes with exclusive breastfeeding,” read part of the reports.
Health workers who spoke to TellZim News concurred with the report and said mothers were forced to feed because of shortage of food that promote production of milk and some also go to work leaving their little ones at home thereby forcing them to give them solid food.
Speaking to TellZim News, Mhandamabwe Clinic Community health worker, Ruth Tivukayi said mothers were struggling to get food so babies are disadvantaged.
“Mothers in our area are struggling to put food on the table so their breasts produce little to no milk so at the end of the day young babies are introduced to solid foods within few days of birth,” Tivukai said.
Tivukai said cultural beliefs and the issue of women going to work also caused them to introduce solids at an early stage.
“Some cultural beliefs that rural women have that few days after a baby is born they can introduce solids is another reason why we have babies consuming solid foods at an early stage.
“Another cause of children consuming solid foods is that mothers go to work so at first they use bottle milk and later introduce solid foods to the baby so that he/she feeds while the mother is at work or in the fields,” she added.
Tivukai however, said there were challenges to be faced by babies who consume other foods within three days.
“Some implications to be faced by babies due to introduction of solids within three days of birth include risk of choking and cause babies to drink less than the needed amount of breast milk, can increase the risk of children developing allergies, babies digestive systems are not fully developed at birth causing difficulties in peeing and introducing solids too early can cause discomfort, constipation and other digestive problems,” said Tivukai.
Masvingo has been among the regions affected by the El Nino induced drought making it hard for families to get food to eat leading mothers to have good health to produce enough breast milk for their babies hence introducing them to other foods within three days of child birth.
