The City Nutrition Office and City Planning and Development Office of Tagaytay City in coordination with the Center for Health Development (CHD)-CALABARZON and National Nutrition Council Regional Office IV held its World Health Organization-Child Growth Standards (WHO-CGS) Training Course for Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNS) last 1-3 February 2012 at Jeb Restaurant, Tagaytay International Convention Center (TICC), Tagaytay City. The said training was participated in by 33 BNSs of Tagaytay City.
The three-day training aimed to introduce and orient the new Child Growth Standards (CGS) to the BNSs and teach them how to measure the weight and length/height of children; assess children’s growth; and counsel the mothers on child’s growth and proper child feeding using the new CGS.
Packaged with module presentations, lectures, drills and field practice, the training was divided into two phases: the lecture proper and the practicum or the field practice.
Mr. Dan Sanares, Nurse I of Tagaytay City Health Office introduced Module A (Introduction of Module and Manual) to the participants. In his session, he basically discussed the overview of the Child Growth Standards, the development of CGS, the purpose and the objectives of the training course as well as the legal bases of the adoptation of Child Growth Standards in the country.
Discussions of Module B (Measuring Child’s Growth), Module C (Interpretation of Growth Indicators) and Core Developmental Milestones of Filipino Children were tackled by Ms. Jennifer Tañag, Nutritionist-Dietitian of Center for Health Development (CHD)-CALABARZON. Included in her discussion on Module B are the computation of a child’s age in months; recognition of clinical signs of marasmus and kwashiorkor; and measurement of the weight and the height/length of a child.
Session on Module C on the other hand specifically tackled about plotting points for the three growth indicators (weight-for-age, height-for-age and weight-for-height/length) on its respective line graphs; interpretation of plotted points on the growth indicators, identification of normal growth and growth problems of a child; interpretation of trends on growth charts and identification of the possible risks in a child’s growth. The Core Developmental Milestones of Filipino Children was discussed together with the presentation of the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Card.
The last module of the training course (Module D: Counseling on Growth and Feeding) was discussed by Ms. Ma. Eileen Blanco, Officer-In-Charge, Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator of National Nutrition Council Regional Office IV. She emphasized some important points to consider in counseling a child’s mother which include informing the mother about the child’s growth assessment; giving of appropriate feeding recommendations with consideration on the child’s age; steps on interviewing a mother in order to investigate causes of a child’s undernutrition or overnutrition; and giving advices related to specific causes of undernutrition or overnutrition.
The practicum took place at Barangay Maharlika East, Tagaytay City wherein they had practically applied what they had learned during the lecture sessions particularly in gathering information needed in the ECCD Card, getting the weight and height/length of a child using appropriate measuring tools and counseling the child’s mother or caregiver regarding the child’s growth assessment. Chosen children of Barangay Maharlikha East served as the subjects of the field practice.
The training commenced in a simple sharing of thoughts, experiences and impressions about the practicum by selected Barangay Nutrition Scholars followed by the Awarding and Closing Ceremonies.
