Traditional feeding habits for under five (5) and pregnant and lactating women in Lake Chad Basin (LCB)
Introduction
Pregnant and lactating women, infants, and young children are the most critical stages of life cycle. Women, especially pregnant and lactating women, infants, and young children, are among the most nutritionally vulnerable groups. This is because of the high or double nutrient required to maintain good health and that of the infant, which is not often met. Pregnancy and lactation are critical stages of child health. Similarly, for infants’ rapid growth and development, mothers are required by nature to increase diet intake quality. Thus, infant and young child feeding practices are essential parts of the optimal development of a child. Good nutrition is vital for pregnant, lactating mothers’ infants, and young children. The absence of good nutrition has critical consequences for physical and cognitive growth and development. Malnutrition among expectant and lactating mothers and children under five (5) have consequences in child growth and development. Inadequate nutrition or the absence of it could lead to failure in early physical growth, delayed motor skills, cognitive and behavioural development of a child; it diminishes immunity and increases morbidity and mortality. In contrast, women with poor nutritional status have an increased risk of complications like anemia and adverse pregnancy outcomes such as postpartum hemorrhage, preterm births, and fetal growth retardation, increasing the risk of prematurity and low birth weight. Usually, mothers are exposed to nutritional stress due to the nursing process and the health risk that is often multiplied by frequent pregnancies and pregnancy complications, with a lack of access to and control over income, inadequate education, and other physical demands. It is required that pregnant and lactating women increase and improve the quantity and quality of food they consume in other to be stable at this stage.
Unfortunately, while maternal is essential in the health of expectant mothers and infants, governments in the Lake Chad Basin seem to be achieving very little in this area; as s a result, maternal malnutrition has become the common features of mothers and infants and child health in the region. Although humanitarian aid agencies are doing their best to improve nutritional feeding practices among pregnant and lactating women, these efforts need to complement locally available foods to improve feeding practices. This is because growing insecurity in the region severely impacts many people’s livelihood and makes it difficult to access good health, clean water, nutrition, and food security. In April 2020, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) reported that over 2.7 million people had fled their homes, 3.6 million people are severely food insecure, while four 400,000 children are at risk of severe acute malnutrition. In September 2020, an estimated population of 5,104,347 are being hosted by the countries that make up the Lake Chad Basin. OCHA reported that this population consists of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), Refugees (both in- and out-of-camp), Returnees (Former IDPs and Returnees from abroad), and Third Country Nationals (TCNs). While the crisis deepens, periodic reviews of interventions and progress made so far by humanitarian organizations working in the region have shown that deprivation of essential nutrition and other live-saving services has increased and negatively impacts pregnant women, lactating women, infants, and young children. For women and children in the Lake Chad Basin, environmental and economic conditions have placed an additional burden on their feeding habits and nutritional status. Violent activities of insurgents in the area created poverty that affects the quality of the diet and made worse the living condition of women and children. This, therefore, calls for rethinking of innovative ways of intervention that will be sustainable, especially through the use of local initiatives, especially traditional feeding habits that can be used to improve new policies and programmatic activities in tackling the nutritional and health challenges among pregnant women, lactating mother, infants and young children in the Lake Chad Basin. Therefore, the study will focus on the traditional feeding habits of under-five (5) and pregnant and lactating women. The study will also investigate traditional behaviour that can help gather feeding practices that are either extinct or fast collapsing and could support and improve nutrition and feeding practices in the region. The study will be interested in finding out if there are special diets for women during pregnancy and breastfeeding, any constraints in getting these diets. Secondly, what kind of food is given to children under 5 (five)? Are there foods that are traditionally prohibited for children, pregnant and lactating women? Who are traditionally responsible for influencing what kind of food should be given to children, pregnant and lactating women.
A review of the literature
Over the years, international organizations and philanthropic individuals have been working to improve the nutritional intake of pregnant and lactating women, infants, and children under five (5) in the world. This effort aims to reduce infant mortality and morbidity and improve the standard of living of caregivers and renew the commitment of critical stakeholders in food security, nutrition, and maternal and child health. At the beginning of the millennium, integrated and concerted efforts from relevant stakeholders in the area of nutrition, maternal and child health saved about 48 million under 5 children from sudden death. Available statistics showed that, since 2000, there had been a 53% improvement in under 5 child survival compared to the 1990s when 12.7 million children were dying at the age of 5. Despite this improvement, infant mortality and morbidity rate constitute one of the challenges confronting the developing world population.
Nutrition plays a fundamental role in supporting the health status of children, pregnant, and lactating women. The life cycle’s nutritional requirement is constantly changing and requiring adjustments in what is needed and how much is needed, and when needed to maintain optimal health. Much as good as nutrition is essential in pregnant and lactating women, infants, and young children, feeding habits are mostly determined by culture. Culture influences people, especially on what they eat and should not be eaten, either by pregnant and lactating women, infants, and young children. In societies where traditional feeding habits exist, it is very difficult to change them because of the special attachment with certain foods that symbolize and preserve their cultural identity. Apart from culture, there are other factors too.
Economic disparity
maternal and Child health
The concept of traditional feeding practice is as old as humanity. Feeding practice is often developed as a result of man’s continues interaction with nature. The practice is usually unique to people and has served several functions in people’s society, especially with distinct ways of life that are particularly identifiable. There is no single theory that explains feeding practices as synonymous in all societies of the world; this is because the practice has been changing because of the dynamics of human lifestyle often determine by social circumstances, environment, and other factors beyond human control. More important among them are ecology, science, and technological advancement, and economic conditions. The traditional feeding system plays a significant role in maintaining the well-being and health of indigenous people. Yet, there are indications that the traditional feeding system and knowledge of indigenous people are facing extinction. This has resulted in the use of only a few species, decreased dietary diversity due to household food insecurity, and poor health status. Awareness created on traditional feeding practice can contribute to creating a healthy society to build a strong nation. The traditional knowledge of food is considered to be the best for a particular geographical condition. Changing feeding habits can improve or destroy the good health of a society.
As a well-known practice in all human societies, most societies declare specific food items fit and others unfit for human consumption. Although, dietary rules and regulations usually govern the changing phases of the human life cycle and may be linked with special events such as menstrual period, pregnancy, childbirth, lactation, and – in traditional societies – preparation for the hunt, battle, wedding, funeral, etc. On a comparative basis, some feeding practices may seem not to make sense at all, as to what may be declared unfit by one group may be perfectly acceptable to another. Feeding habits have a long history and explanation for the existence and persistence of certain dietary customs in a given culture. As earlier mentioned, this is a highly debated view, and no single theory may explain why people employ special feeding practices for themselves. Culture is often the determinant of a factor in the definition of a people’s feeding habit.
In the Lake Chad Basin (LCB), the geography of violence in the region has contributed to defining the region’s character of feeding practice.
Food Security, Nutrition and Traditional feeding habit in the Lake Chad Basin
Food is one of the most fundamental necessities for human survival. It is also a basic requirement for combating hunger and maintaining good health anywhere in the world. The production and preparation(processing) of food not only signify fighting hunger but, sometimes, food production and processing techniques give clues into the nature and character of a growing and dwindling food system of a particular society. It is also a means of cultural expression and retention of identity, beliefs, and other values that preserve a society’s uniqueness. By culture, I refer to a set of values, habits, rituals, knowledge, lifestyle attitudes, folklore, rules, and customs peculiar and identifiable. This implies that food has a communicative ability that is rich in culture. Much as food is essential in human survival, it is imperative to note that food’s nutritional value is also vital in the healthy growth of human beings, especially infants and young children, pregnant and lactating women. It is also not how nutritional the food consumed is important, but how safe, secured, and sustainable the food supply chain is maintained over time.
it is important to note that all societies have traditional beliefs regarding harmful and beneficial foods for pregnant and lactating women, infants, and young children. Most societies also have beliefs concerning the optimal quantity of food required to be taken by pregnant women for a successful outcome. The beliefs may or may not conform to modern biomedical practice, especially regarding the amount and the right type of food needed by pregnant women for maternal safety and adequate growth of the fetus, safe delivery, child growth, and development.