The National Nutrition Council (NNC), Iloilo City is urging mothers to practice correct complimentary feeding for babies.
Nona Tad-y, NNC nutrition program coordinator laments that some mothers resort to complimentary feeding without consulting their nutritionist and health workers.
She said that some mothers stop breast-feeding their babies once they have started feeding them with soft foods. This wrong feeding practice should be stopped, she said.
Complimentary feeding includes giving additional food and liquids to babies aside from breast milk and recommended only for babies that are six to 24 months old, she said.
Suggested complimentary foods include shredded meat, fish flakes, beans and vegetables as well as fruits, she said. This will counter the prevalence of underweight and undernourished babies in the region, she added.
The NNC said Tad-y is also coordinating with various local government units (LGUs) in the region to educate mothers, especially the first-timers of correct complimentary feeding.
The LGUs also help disseminate this program through their municipal and barangay health workers, as well as the city health offices.
July is nutrition month celebration which NNC aims to create awareness to the insufficient feeding of babies, particularly breastfeeding as well as the need to monitor the weight of babies.
Nutrition Month Culminates With Healthiest Baby Award
The celebration of the Nutrition Month in Iloilo City will culminate with the awarding of the healthiest baby and a poster-making contest, according to City Health Office (CHO) head Dr. Urminico Baronda.
Baronda said the contest will start with the search for the "well-baby" per district thereafter the winners will compete during the culmination at the end of July.
The contest is open to children nine months and above will be judged according to their immunization and appearance.
The mechanics for the poster-making contest is still being finalized.
Baronda could not disclose what are the prizes for the said contest. Those will be undertaken in partnership with the World Vision.
Badjaos Shelter Problem
Like Kalibo, Aklan, Iloilo City has Badjaos problem.
Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog said "Badjaos is a perennial problem". They are "not welcome" in the city.
Badjaos are being accosted and returned to their places of origin but still they keep on coming back.
"We will pass this to the City Social Welfare and Development Office and the Sangguniang Panlungsod for them to determine what should be done to this group. But we discourage them from coming here because they are eyesores to the city of Iloilo," said Mabilog.
Nonetheless, he also entertains the idea of having them trained to become domestic helpers because of the high demand of such kind of workers. (PNA)/MP
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