Study: 30pc of children under five in Kajiado are malnourished
Expectant and young mothers from Loitokitok, Kajiado County attend vegetable farming orientation at the Dandelion Africa Health Facility Demo Farm on December 16, 2023. At least 30 per cent of children under the age of five in the county are malnourished.
What you need to know:
- Cases of malnutrition, as indicated by stunting, underweight and wasting rates, have increased between 2014 and 2023.
Malnutrition, as indicated by stunting, underweight and wasting rates, has increased between 2014 and 2018.
At least 30 per cent of children under the age of five in Kajiado County are said to be malnourished due to lack of a balanced diet.
Poor feeding practices among young children are said to be a major contributor to malnutrition in Kajiado County where only 57.3 percent of children aged 6-23 months consume foods from more than five food groups and only 30 percent of households consume iron-rich foods frequently.
According to the survey conducted by Dandelion Africa, a non-governmental organisation, most parents, especially in the indigenous pastoralist community, feed their children on milk, ugali and porridge, depriving them of much-needed nutrients for better growth.
Cases of malnutrition, as indicated by stunting, underweight and wasting rates, have increased between 2014 and 2023.
Low uptake of exclusive breastfeeding and recommended complementary feeding, and low uptake of vitamin A supplementation have been identified as the main causes.
Malnutrition, as indicated by stunting, underweight and wasting rates, has increased between 2014 and 2018.
Undernourished pregnant women are more likely to develop anaemia, which leads to stillbirths, and those who survive are at risk of low birth weight, birth defects, underdevelopment of some organs and brain damage, among other problems.
One in four children under the age of five in Kajiado County is stunted, while one in 10 is wasted and 22 in 100 are underweight. Both rural and urban areas are affected, with far-flung villages in the past county bearing the brunt.
The recent severe drought from 2020-2023 has left most families with no alternative source of food, taking a toll on pregnant and new mothers.
"Most of the local new mothers are not keen on breastfeeding their children, they opt for maize flour porridge and ugali, their children lack much-needed nutrients leading to malnutrition," said Dr Pamela Kiprono, Dandelion Africa nutritionist.
During a day-long nutrition seminar that brought together expectant and new mothers in Loitoktok over the weekend, participants were educated on proper nutrition and how to grow vegetables in their compound to supplement their daily diet.
"We encourage women to grow a variety of vegetables as a source of vitamins in their daily diet, as early childhood development requires a holistic approach involving both parents," added Dr Kiprono.
Men have been encouraged to take an active role in feeding their children to ensure proper growth.
Beneficiaries said that lack of knowledge has resulted in most of their children suffering from stunted growth, with some dying at an early age.
"Local women bear the brunt of raising children alone, we now know that most of the challenges affecting our children are due to poor nutrition, high child mortality at tender age is a common trend in this region," said Ms Nayeyu Balua.
Failure to visit health centres slows down the detection of malnutrition and denies caregivers access to vital health information.
