We use only foodstuffs commonly available in Nepal, so that mothers can follow the regimen once they return home.
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How Nepalese Children become Malnourished.
A common occurrence in Nepalese families is that a family may have 3, 4, or 5 children but only one is malnourished. The children of Nepal are on a razor's edge when it comes to nutrition. Most of the mothers only breast feed for 2 months and then start the children on solid food. (Studies show that mothers should be breast-feeding for at least 6 months). The nutritional neglect is a result of the fact that mothers are the only ones available to work in the fields. Many times the husbands disappear, abandoning the family. If the mother does not tend to the vegetables and cash crops, then the entire family suffers.
With the mothers working and fathers absent, the older siblings, under 10 years of age, end up taking care of the infants all day. The concept of feeding a tiny child many times a day is often not possible or even attempted. In Nepal, it is not uncommon for a child to be fed only 2 times a day (traditionally, at 10 AM and 6 PM). Once a child falls off this fine nutritional balance, it is almost impossible for them to recover.
How Children Arrive at NRH
The Nepalese children are most often suffering from protein deficient malnutrition when they arrive at The NRH. The children usually come to the house in two ways. They are referred to the NRH by Kanti’s Children’s Hospital, about a 10-minute walk from NRH. If a child is admitted to Kanti’s for an illness, the family may be able to pay a small portion of the medicine costs allowing the child to stay at the hospital for a few days. Usually the hospital needs the bed for a child who suffers from a more immediate or severe illness than malnutrition. The family and child are then referred to the NRH for the lengthy treatment, which averages 35 days.
The second way that children arrive at the NRH is through identification by a visiting field staff on site visits in local villages. During these field visits, children are brought to the staff to be diagnosed and often taken back to Kathmandu, to the NRH, for treatment for malnutrition.
Nutritional Rehabilitation Home at a Glance
Malnutrition is the most common cause of morbidity and mortality among children in the developing countries, specifically in the rural areas. The principal causes of malnutrition are poverty, illiteracy, and a lack of education on the importance of a balanced diet. As a result, children are deprived of essential nutrients.
Children are discharged from hospitals or health clinics after their recovery from threatening diseases but their immediate dietary requirements and nutrient needs are often neglected. In most cases, children discharged from hospitals are still in need of a more balanced diet and essential nutrients. This has, in many instances, caused recurring illnesses or left children vulnerable to new diseases. Severe cases of malnutrition left neglected can result in the death of the child.
Guardian Education
The Nutritional Rehabilitation Home (NRH), the only program of its kind in the country, was established in February 1998. It attempts to provide potential solutions for child malnutrition. The children referred by hospital and health clinics, admitted in the NRH, are required to be accompanied by a guardian (mother/father/other). The child is nourished in the NRH until he/she achieves 80% of Standard Reference Weight, in the case of patients under 5 years, and 100% in patients older than 5.
While the children are in treatment, the guardians are trained by NRH staff, including a Nutritionist who understands the nutritional values of common food-stuff available in the rural households. The guardians are educated in methods of food preparation, taught how to retain a food's natural nutritional values, andhow to look after the child’s health. The NRH expects that the newly trained guardian will impart the new education and information to the rest of their family and their neighbors.
Follow Up
The NRH field-staff regularly visits discharged children in their homes to ensure that they are maintaining proper weight and health. Our experience has been that the guardians, mostly mothers, have fruitfully used the knowledge gained and the suggestions provided at the NRH. Generally, the children have maintained their weight and health satisfactorily.
Cost for stay per pair $261.00
220 children saved - 220 mothers educated
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