dyton mupawaenda
Talent Gore
A CAMPAIGN against a common practice by mothers and caregivers of using cooking oil to treat stomach ailments in babies has been launched by paediatricians in Zimbabwe.
The doctors say the practice causes lipoid pneumonia.
Lipoid pneumonia is a form of lung disease due to aspiration or inhalation of exogenous or endogenous lipid-containing products.
The campaign comes at a time that the country has noted an increase in cases of Lipoid pneumonia among the paediatric population.
A jar with oil that was drained from an infant’s lungs.
Dr Norbertta Makumbe, in partnership with Paediatric Association of Zimbabwe, recently launched the campaign through a health advocacy video featuring other doctors from South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya.
“In most cases, Zimbabwean babies are given one to three teaspoons of oil daily to deal with stomach cramps, constipation and also for religious purposes.
“As you give the child that oil every day, little by little, it accumulates and forms a thick layer around the lungs,” Dr Makumbe said.
As a result of the use of oil, the child suffers from low oxygen supply and struggling to breathe, adding that the amount or type of oil did not make a difference.
“It does not matter whether you boil it, whether it is olive or coconut oil or whether it is one teaspoon a day.”
Dr Makumbe added the child will need to be operated on because the cases are not easy to deal with, when the damage is done, even medicine will not make a difference.
“Unfortunately, the lungs cannot break down the oil. The oil causes inflammatory reactions which damage the lungs.
“The resultant damage is very difficult to treat and can result in death, the best way to manage the condition is to stop giving oil to children.
“There is a need to change our cultural practices and discourage the giving of oil.”
Online Reporter