A call has been made on women to cultivate the habit of balancing their
diet to help them avoid preventable diseases and malnutrition.
Speaking at the international day for children with spina bifida and
hydrocephalus (SBH), which means having water in the brain, the
executive director of the Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute (MOI) Prof
Lawrence Museru said the absence of folic acid found in greens and
potatoes among expectant mothers was a major cause of SBH among infants.
Consumption of sweet potatoes, cassava and vegetables or folic acid
vitamins is essential to expectant mothers in order to mould a healthy
child free from diseases like hydrocephalus, the specialist noted.
He urged society not to stigmatize children or families suffering from
SBH as it often causes family separations, touching off single parent
families and rampant poverty, as child patients require extra care.
“Children with SBH need support from family to community level as they
have physical disabilities. They need support to perform their daily
duties,” he stated.
One of the major challenges of eliminating the disease is scarcity of
health centers owing to their location in urban areas, while rural areas
have an immense problem due to ignorance.
However, MOI brain orthopedic surgeon Dr Remery Mchome said the disease
can be cured and prevented through provision of health education among
the public.
Dr Mchome said initially many children lost their lives as patients
lacked access to quick health services. Cultural misconceptions hinder
campaigns against the disease as parents link the disease to witchcraft,
he said.
The main cause of spina bifida is yet to be known, but it is thought
that 80 percent of cases are a result of lack of folic acid (folate) in
an expectant mother’s diet, while hydrocephalus stems from blockage in
the natural drainage system of the fluid in the brain.
About 95 percent of children born with spina bifida contract
hydrocephalus, with SBH a lifelong condition where the patient may
need help and support throughout his/her life. At times such patients
live a normal and healthy life with some minor problems, he added.
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