Before and after photo of Baby Nick, taken August 2020 (1.8kg) and October 2020 (3.7kg)
Results of the 2019 Expanded National Nutrition Survey (ENNS) released by the Department of Science and Technology – Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) revealed that individuals belonging to poor households are more likely to be undernourished and classified as underweight, stunted, or wasted; thus, it is a fact that children in these households are prone to experience severe or moderate acute malnutrition. The 2019 ENNS result for Marinduque province revealed that 28.6% of children under five years of age were stunted, a statistic of medium public health significance.
It was in August 2020 that a Facebook post came to attention - a mother from the Province of Marinduque sought help and looked for breast milk donors for her newborn child. According to the post, her newborn child named “Nick” only weighed 1.8kg and is considered a low-birth-weight baby. As the mother is having difficulty producing the milk necessary to prevent Nick’s condition from getting worse, she resorted to seeking help on social media. At that time, Nick was admitted to Torrijos Municipal Hospital in Torrijos, Marinduque.
When individuals are deprived of protein, energy, or both, the result is commonly referred to as protein-energy malnutrition (PEM). PEM often takes place early in childhood and is one of the most devastating forms of malnutrition in the world. It comes in two classifications – marasmus and kwashiorkor, or sometimes a combination of both. Marasmus, a form of PEM that results from severe deprivation or impaired absorption of energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals, occurs over a prolonged period and is most evident in children 6 to 18 months of age.
As for Nick’s case, an infant under six months of age, his condition is characterized as severe acute malnutrition that is defined by a very low weight-for-length. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), severe acute malnutrition is increasingly being recognized in infants under 6 months of age and is often associated with higher mortality in young infants than in older infants and young children.
Like infants 6 months or older, the same general medical care should be received by infants who are under 6 months of age with severe acute malnutrition. Introduction of nutrition should prioritize establishing or re-establishing exclusive breastfeeding by the mother or other caregivers. This is for optimal nutrition and protection against infections. Should this be not probable, other options also include breast milk from another woman (e.g. family member, neighbor, wet nurse, or a milk bank).
Recognizing the need for quick action, NNC MIMAROPA immediately coordinated with the Provincial Nutrition Office of Marinduque. The Provincial Nutrition Office of Marinduque together with the Municipal Nutrition Action Officer of Torrijos, searched for breast milk donors that can provide enough quantity of milk for baby Nick’s needs. Simultaneously, they also conducted nutrition counseling sessions for baby Nick’s mother to help stimulate breast milk production. Nutrition commodities were provided as well towards the goal of helping improve the health and nutrition status of the baby.
PNO Marinduque closely monitored baby Nick’s situation for months. The child was weighed in October 2020 and according to PNO Marinduque, he is at 3.7kg. Regular assessment of baby Nick’s situation is still being conducted so he can soon be within the normal weight range for his age. The Local Government Unit of Marinduque is consistent in monitoring not only baby Nick but also all the recorded SAM and MAM cases in the province.
NNC MIMAROPA continuously strengthens its advocacy on exclusively breastfeeding and the importance of the first 1000 days of a child, and constantly coordinates with the local government units in the region to monitor SAM and MAM cases and give necessary assistance for the improvement of nutrition situation in the region.
AVETPatriarca
