Foundation advocates policy enactment, aid for children with birth defects
Mrs Olubunmi Aiyedun, Founder MARCH Initiative, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Thursday.
Aiyedun who is also a pediatric nurse, described birth defect as a wide range of abnormalies of body structure or function that develops prenatally and can be identified before or at birth or later in life.
According to her, with over seven million new born babies recorded every year in Nigeria, there are proportions of those with birth defect, hence the need for quality data and government policies.
“That is why we are calling on government, partners, NGO’s and grassroot organisation’s to sit and produce quality data and implement policies that can drive interventions for children with anomalies.
“The government own the people, so they have the primary responsibility to make policies, because if we have policies that recognise children with special needs, then there can be interventions.
“We need budget and policies that ensures the protection, promotion and support of every new born with birth defect requiring essential care such as healthcare, nutrition, immunisation and welfare support, Aiyedun said”.
Speaking on prevention, she called on women of child bearing age to maintain a healthy lifestyle by reducing their intake of alcohol, cigarettes smoking, while avoiding early or late marriage.
Aiyedun further added that food fortification, supplementation and intake of folic acid could help reduce the incidence of birth defect by 70 per cent.
She said this was important has defects could occur at any stage of pregnancy, however, most birth defects happens within first three months of pregnancy, when the organs of the baby are forming.
Aiyedun further listed some of the defects, which includes; cleft lip and cleft palate, where inside a child’s mouth was not completely formed, with the roof of the mouth opened.
Also, Spina bifida a defect, were there is an opening that allows part of the spinal cord to protrude, causing paralysis of the lower limbs, down syndrome among others.
“On March 3, World Defect Day was commemorated globally, however at MARCH Initiative, we continue to raise awareness on the need to reduce stigma, increase opportunities for prevention and care for children with defects.
“We have recognised that there are special children born, who may not look like other children, but have the right to be cared for, loved, supported and celebrated.
