In this day and age, parents race home from work to put dinner on the table and then get their kids off to hockey, soccer, dance, or one of the many other activities in which they are involved. Weekends may be less hectic than weekdays, but, in many families, members go off in different directions, grabbing their meals at the mall or the drive-through.

Supplementing Meals

Giving children a multivitamin with minerals and omega-3 can make up for those times when they cannot get all they need from food. Granted, many people already know that vitamin D helps bones grow strong, vitamin A is good for the eyes and vitamin C bolsters the immune system, but what about folic acid, magnesium and omega-3? Folic acid not only protects unborn children from congenital defects in the case of pregnant women, but will also help little ones produce healthy red blood cells and protect them against anaemia. Magnesium is needed for our children to absorb calcium—important for a healthy nervous system and skeleton. It is also required in many of the body’s processes, such as communication between and within cells, and to stimulate elimination. Omega-3s are naturally found in breast milk and certain oils like fish and olive. They are high in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which supports brain development. Lack of DHA can lead to problems with learning, memory and behaviour, as well as depression. These are just some of the components needed to keep our children in optimal health.

Reading Multivitamin Labels

In addition, learning to read labels can help ensure better choices in multivitamins. To help ensure a multivitamin contains what it should, look specifically at biotin and selenium levels. Biotin, which helps stimulate hair and nail growth, enhance skin and control blood sugar levels, should be 100% or more of the recommended daily allowance (or RDA; also known as recommended daily intake or RDI). The same is true for selenium. Selenium is an antioxidant that plays a role in the function of the thyroid and protects body tissues. Some companies tend to skimp on these amount, which could mean other vitamins and minerals may be in lower quantities than they should be. By looking at these two key elements, there is a better chance of selecting a good multivitamin. Government organizations such as Health Canada have charts listing the RDAs for infants and children.

Some brands contain additives to enhance the taste, appearance and consistency of the supplement or to extend shelf life. Parents should be aware of what their children are taking in order to weigh the pros and cons of buying one vitamin brand over another. For example, some children are sensitive to carrageenan, a food additive that can cause gastrointestinal problems. There is increasing, although inconclusive evidence that FD&C Yellow #6 and Blue #2 synthetic dyes may be linked to potential hyperactivity and behavioural problems in children. Other ingredients may be desired, such as zinc and iron, but, in some children, higher quantities of these two minerals, especially zinc, may upset their stomachs. To counteract this, the multivitamin should either be taken with a meal, which will make these two components easier to digest, or parents should look for a multivitamin providing a lower level of zinc or iron. By being informed consumers, people will be in a better position to make decisions on their darlings’ vitamins.

It's a Question of Balance

Optimally, it would be great for everyone to slow down and take the time to make healthy, varied meals from scratch for their children, but this is not always possible. So the next time parents have to “nuke” a frozen meal or stop for fast food to be on time for a child's dentist appointment, they can rest assured that a good supplement will be of benefit when nutrition must take a back seat to a frantic lifestyle.

This year, the rains came late again in this part of Ethiopia. And when they finally began they caused huge flooding which damaged many of Halima’s crops on her tiny quarter hectare of land. What was not damaged by flood was destroyed by drought.

This is what led them here, to the small room being used as a stabilisation centre for severely malnourished infants. Khadija is one of nine inpatients currently admitted in the centre. Halima had brought her to the health centre for an immunisation, and staff there immediately realised the severity of her condition.

“I have so many problems; I don’t even have milk to give to my granddaughter.” she shared. “They said she had a problem with malnutrition and they admitted her immediately. That was three days ago.”

Like many of the mothers in stabilisation centre, Halima had travelled 80km to get there, this great – sometimes impossible – distance, the reason why CARE International is supporting the Government to open another two centres in West Hararghe alone, hoping to give as many children and families as possible an opportunity to receive help.

The children in the centre, all under five years old, are immediately put on a course of high-electrolyte milk, given eight times a day, to stabilise their digestive system, and then moved to a high-protein milk to help them to gain weight.

As soon as Khadija gains weight over consecutive days, she will be discharged and then treated as an outpatient for the next two or three months as she returns to a healthier weight.

Halima’s relief at receiving help is palpable, “I am so very glad to be here. I have learned how to prevent malnutrition, and so far as it is possible, I will do my best to give my grand-daughter the kinds of food she needs.”

Outside, a crowd of mothers gather with their children to be weighed. These children too are severely malnourished, but well enough to be treated as outpatients. 45 children are expected today.

There has been an increase in referrals since the Government carried out a screening across the region a fortnight ago. But, many of the people here today have been referred by someone in their community. A crucial part of CARE’s nutrition programme is training community members to be able to identify severely and moderately malnourished children who need treatment and link them to government health services.

Engida Asha, CARE’s Emergency Programme Manager in West Haraghe explained, “there are 162 Community Nutrition Volunteers in Gemenchis woreda alone. Village leaders help us to select them from the community and they are responsible for raising awareness and identifying serious cases and referring them to our services.”

Many of the volunteers are traditional birth attendants, who help women too remote to get to medical care, through labour and childbirth. With good knowledge of the communities, they are well placed to spot families and children in need.

12-month old Nanti Ahmed is one of those. She was admitted as an outpatient three weeks ago weighing just 5.1kg. She was given antibiotics and is now receiving a specially devised high-protein food called plumpynut to help her to gain weight.

But, CARE doesn’t only target infants. Chronically food insecure women, and pregnant and lactating mothers in particular, are especially vulnerable, which is why our programmes specifically prioritise their needs. When a child is referred, the mother is routinely measured too, and this identified Nanti’s mother, 20-year old Hawa Rahado, as also worryingly underweight.

Hawa told us, “when I had this child, I had no support because the father is not there, he has migrated in search of work. I could not farm as I had to care for the child. I had no harvest this year. Nothing. I don’t have any food in the house to feed my children.”

Hawa has been receiving supplementary food, along with her child, for 3 weeks now.

“I was thinner than this before, and I am still improving. I am gaining weight. Though my child still has diarrhoea and so is not yet putting on weight.”

For Hawa, as for thousands of ordinary Ethiopians, CARE’s nutrition programme is a lifeline.

As she put it, “I know if I had not come here, I would have died.”