During one of my community visits, I met Zainab; a young trader trying to prepare food for her 3 children. She invited me to sit, so I used the opportunity to engage her in a short interview. She told me in the last 5 years she has lost 2 of her children before they reach age 1 to severe malnutrition. She said those moments were the most painful to her because it was not easy to carry a child in a womb, pass through the rigorous stress of childbirth, and still lose the child.
Pitifully, in West Africa, the rate of infant mortality is as high as 34.13% (Population Reference Bureau, 2019). According to centers for disease control and prevention, Infant mortality is the death of an infant before his or her first birthday while the infant mortality rate is the number of infant deaths for every 1,000 live births. In this article, we will be exploring some of the causes of infant mortality in West Africa and recommendations on how to tackle them. Factors such as poverty, poor nutrition, and stress, substance abuse, underlying health conditions, poor hygiene, and poor healthcare services have been found responsible.
Pitifully, in West Africa, the rate of infant mortality is as high as 34.13% (Population Reference Bureau, 2019). According to centers for disease control and prevention, Infant mortality is the death of an infant before his or her first birthday while the infant mortality rate is the number of infant deaths for every 1,000 live births. In this article, we will be exploring some of the causes of infant mortality in West Africa and recommendations on how to tackle them. Factors such as poverty, poor nutrition, and stress, substance abuse, underlying health conditions, poor hygiene, and poor healthcare services have been found responsible.
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| Infant Mortality rate in West Africa |
Poverty: This is described as the state of being poor. Persons who are in this state can't afford the basic needs for survival such as food, shelter, and clothing. These state of living expose infants to diseases, and malnutrition which eventually lead to their death. Also, the poor pregnant women are subjected to poor healthcare systems for their deliveries as they can't afford to go to equipped healthcare facilities.
Malnutrition: The importance of good nutrition cannot be overemphasized as it affects virtually every aspect of life. Intake of unbalanced diets leads to poor growth and development of babies in the uterus and so leads to complications that can cause the death of the infant. Babies are expected to take breast milk exclusively during the first 6 months after birth. After which they can supplement the food with milk and other substances. However, some parents are ignorant of the food to give to their children, and this affects their growth and development after birth.
Stress during the Pregnancy period: This is also a factor that leads to the death of infants. Mothers that indulge in rigorous activities can stress the baby in the womb and lead to complications during childbirth.
Substance Abuse: Consumption of substances like alcohol, marijuana, and cigarette by pregnant women can lead to infant mortality. The chemicals in their substances gain access through the placenta to the baby and it can lead to dysfunction in the brain and body development.
Underlying Health Conditions in Mothers: Women who are diabetic, hypertensive, or asthmatic, are at higher rates of having complications during childbirth. Some of them won’t have a strong immune system to keep the fetus strong in the womb. In Africa, we have high rates of HIV which can be transferred to the baby.
Poor Sanitation: Unclean environments, unsafe handling of food, and poor sanitation practices allow harmful microorganisms to thrive better in the environment. When these harmful microorganisms gain access into the body of an infant, they cause the infant to be sick and can cause complications that will kill the infant.
Poor Healthcare Services: When healthcare services are not made available to people or are poorly given to people, it can lead to the death of infants in the region as the infants do not have strong immune systems that can help their bodies fight some minor ailments.
Suggested Solution
1. Couples should be sensitized on the proper spacing of childbirths.
2. Pregnant women should take prenatal care and regular hospital checkup seriously. Also, they should eat nutritious food and maintain the utmost cleanliness during pregnancy.
3. Women with underlying health conditions such as HIV Aids, Diabetes, and what have you should visit the hospital to inform their doctors before pregnancy.
4. The government should invest in initiatives that will help reduce malnutrition and improve healthcare services.
5. Parents should take vaccination of their babies seriously as this will help improve their immune system against diseases.
References
https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth/infantmortality.htm
https://www.prb.org/international/indicator/infant-mortality/snapsho
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