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Is 'Agbo' safe for infants?

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A month ago, I visited Nma, a two year old friend in a paediatric clinic, she was already recovering from a gastrointestinal infection. In a crib next to hers laid a little boy of two weeks old whom has been having fever, seizures and other complications since admitted. He looked lifeless, weak, emaciated and pale, and I wondered what actually caused his ailment or what was wrong with him. Out of curiosity I asked Nma’s mother who has been telling  me about her convalescing child who’s no longer on parenteral support. I was told that the baby boy was given Agbo, a native herbal concoction by his mother to cure his dysentery and fever. I was shocked! How can a mother give Agbo to a child whose body system is still tender and fragile? Is it ignorance or what? Unfortunately, the boy died in the clinic amidst physician’s effort to save his life. Who killed the boy – “Agbo or Mother?” I’m not going to debate or blame any factor but in this article I’m going to lay emphasis on infant

A Visit to the New Calabar River, Aluu Community, Rivers State.

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Photo: The New Calabar River, Aluu, Port Harcourt Nigeria The day started off after an extensive Google map viewing of the direction to the New Calabar River. This big river has 5 major sections which are situated at various communities in Obio-Akpor and Ikwerre LGA. Photo:M O'War Road Aluu I told hubby we have to find a good route. I don't want to run into any unknown dead end😂. Google Map has become a good drive guide to unknown places in recent times. It's my go-to direction and location app, asides using it for my volunteering work as a Google Local Guide. His study needed some data for hydro work. Due to a barricade built around the river, we decided to go through the African Regional Aquaculture Center (ARAC) just close to the bank of the river. From the map, we saw a 9-min drive from Rumuagholu to Aluu (the community where we can see a section of the river). On getting to ARAC, we were able to get a Local guide who took us round the sections of the river: We vi

How to make Nigerian Chicken Peppersoup

Check out my YouTube video on how to make chicken vegetable soup https://youtu.be/Gn8pJYZ_GAo Kindly like, subscribe and share. Thanks

MATERNAL AND NEONATAL TETANUS: DEADLY AND PREVENTABLE DISEASE

Not all maternal and newborn deaths are supernatural, some can be due to environmental risk factors beyond and within our control. Today, a little shift from food and nutrition, but an insight on public health issue. When I was pregnant for my second baby, my sister kept calling all day to know if I had registered for antenatal. I told her I will do that once my change of hospital reflects on my HMO database. Infact, she didn't let me rest till I completed all the hospital rendezvous and successfully registered for antenatal at Upth.  I was already in midway second trimester when I attended my first visit, after medical consultations, the doctor insisted that I take the Tetanus toxoid vaccine before leaving the hospital. I had already started the injection since 2018, and this was my fourth dose. I didn't joke with the injections because during internship I managed a patient who suffered some nutritional problems as a result of tetanus disease. This young man was involved in a

New Year Resolutions: Helpful Nutrition Tips

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It is that time of the year you invest money and time on nutrition and fitness goals. Yes, New year's Resolutions! A lot of money goes into buying slimming teas, fads, coaching and quick-fix which may guarantee impressive weight loss, muscle bulk, big hips and what have you😅. Be mindful that you may gain or fail?  Becoming a better version of yourself starts with you taking realistic, achievable and sustainable steps. Your nutrition isn't left out! Most often we overindulge in too many things and crave for good nutrition when things go wrong. Just a few weeks after the jolly season, you're already watching weight, counting macros and damaging your inner psychology. By the next season, you start all over again. Tips to help you start on the right note;  1. Get rid of wrong thinking You need to eat right, ask a dietitian. If you need medical attention, visit a doctor. You're mentally disturbed, see a psychologist. You need to visit a physiotherapist, counsellor, expert d

ACRYLAMIDE IN FOOD; A PROBABLE CARCINOGEN

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                      Who wouldn't enjoy a bowl of golden brown, crispy and tasty chips or a good toast? It's so appetizing and enjoyable!  The prevalence of chronic noncommunicable disease is increasing in an alarming rate. Thus, we need to mind what we consume. In recent times, there has been an alarming rate of people suffering from malignant and benign tumours. A tumour that is malignant is known as cancer. A carcinogen is a substance or agent that causes cancer. Acrylamide is one of the probable carcinogens that's undergoing evidence-based research in animal studies since it's discovery in food in 2002. Previously, it has been used industrially for producing cosmetics,  plastics, textiles and drinking water products. According to World Health Organization,  cancer is the second leading cause of death globally, and was responsible for 8.8 million deaths in 2015. Globally, nearly 1 in 6 deaths is due to cancer. Also, the number of new cases is expected

Menu Planning for the Family

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It's necessary to plan foods needed daily by the family properly in order to ensure good nutrition. Planning a meal saves time,  energy and money. This helps family to avoid unwanted, unappetizing and unhealthy meals. Things to be considered when planning meals; 1. Choose foods from the various basic food groups 2. Ensure variety in food preparation;  food should be colorful, properly blend flavour and texture, incorporate unique shapes in a dish. 3. Choose foods that are locally available in your place. It's fresh, cheaper and affordable. 4. The appearance of food that is served either kills or whets one's appetite. 5. Consider personal preference, also provide adequate nutrition. For example: Old people cannot eat hard foods because of weak teeth. 6. Balancing time and energy enhances adequate meal preparation. 7. Making a budget prior to shopping helps save cost. 8. Include religions and social customs;  it helps influence a food to be prepared within a seaso

Proper Hand Washing

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For proper hand washing, all you need is 20 seconds and some soap and water. Here's how to do it: Wet your hands with clean running water (warm or cold) and apply soap. Rub your hands together to make a lather and scrub them well; be sure to scrub the backs of your hands, between your fingers and under your nails. Continue rubbing your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum "Happy Birthday" from beginning to end twice. Rinse your hands well under running water. Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry.