In a radio program PIA News Service over station DYKA, Nutritionist Dietician Jocelyn Morano emphasized that the first 1000 days is essential to children’s development, thus, they should be given proper nutrition starting at the womb of the mother.

She also underscored the importance of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and complementary feeding until two years old to ensure that kids will have proper nutrition.

This year’s celebration of the nutrition month carries the theme “Batang Pinoy Sana Tall, Iwas Stunting, Sama All! Iwas din sa COVID-19.”

The campaign hopes to promote awareness and mobilize actions to address stunting.

This also calls for a collective action to prevent stunting and other consequences resulting from malnutrition through the participation of government, non-government organizations, civil society, business, academe, communities and families.

The COVID-19 pandemic, Morano said, has a great impact on the nutrition of children especially among poor families, but breastfeeding could help a lot especially for infants whose parents are in quarantine and sources food are limited.

Morano urged parents to ensure that the kids are well nourished and met the right weight and height vis-a-vis their age because malnutrition could cause irreversible damage not just in their physical make up but also mental and psychological growth.

Morano also said that Antique has the highest percentage of stunted kids who are 5 years old and below with the rate of 11.96% compared to other provinces in Western Visayas as per 2019 Operation Timbang Plus.

The reason that the campaign should put emphasis on the first 1000 days starting from the time the baby was conceived until the baby turns two years old.

Likewise, Information Officer Irene Dulduco stressed on the importance of a smoke-free environment in households especially when there are children and pregnant and lactating mothers because they will be at risk to various health issues due to smoking.

For pregnant mothers, smoking can could lead to spontaneous abortion, low birth weight, physical deformity, heart disease among others consequences of smoking.

Both Dulduco and Morano stressed the importance of good nutrition particularly in this trying time where good immunity and body resistance to diseases matter.

Meanwhile, the Provincial Nutrition Council has approved the Provincial Nutrition Action Plan 2020-2022.

Governor Cadiao, as Chair of the council, and SP Mayela Plamera Ladislao, who is the chair of the SP Committee on Health, were present during the deliberation. (JBG/psm/PIA-Antique)