A mother’s love can be expressed in several ways, no one can really ascertain the depth at which a mother would go for her child but when it comes to unfortunate incidences such as this, it gives cause for one to raise an eyebrow. Countless times i have seen Nigerian mothers carry out this absurd act, forcing food or cereals in the mouth of their babies by blocking or obstructing flow of air temporarily from the nostrils of their child so the unfortunate little soul is left with no choice but to gasp for air through the mouth thereby gulping large quantities of baby feed. A mother in Lagos on wednesday caused the death of her only daughter while trying to force-feed her. Chinwe, a housewife and bread seller at number 3 Lawal Street, Tedi town in Ojo local government area of the state, was said to be feeding her 1year-old daughter, Ada, a meal of pap (ogi/akamu) at home. As it is familiar with mothers in Africa whose children refuse to eat, Chinwe was said to have cupped a handful of pap over her daughter’s mouth with her right hand while she closed off her nostrils with the other. Uknown to Chinwe, Ada had been suffocating while she thought that the pap was being swallowed.
Similarly, last year, a Ghanian nurse, Gloria Dwomoh, 31, from east London, admitted "cup feeding" by pouring liquidize food into the infant's mouth using a porcelain jug while weaning her, in what is believed to be the first case of its kind in the UK. The 10-month-old baby, Diamond, contracted pneumonia caused by food – including meat and cereals – repeatedly entering her lungs as she coughed and choked during force-feeding over a period of months. She died in March last year after being taken to hospital near to her home in Waltham Forest, east London. The pathologist who examined Diamond said he had "never seen so much food in the lungs of a dead child". Describing it as a very sad case, the prosecutor Andrew Edis QC said the food had gone down the wrong way over months. Dwomoh had placed the spout of the jug into the child's mouth "to prevent her closing it when she did not want any more – to prevent her having any choice".
"The mother, she is a nurse, and that involves a degree of extra insight." She was said to be obsessed with the baby's weight. Dwomoh was remanded in custody for sentencing on 9th November as Judge Brian Barker QC described the case as "very disturbing on any view". Social services had warned Dwomoh repeatedly about force-feeding, but the advice was ignored.
So my question is; to what extent does force feeding become child abuse? To my knowledge, there are better ways of making food look enticing to children or alternating their diets to give them variety and keep them wanting more, it is all about the available information we have around us, if your child refuses to take in food, it’s as easy as going to a child care specialist or paediatrician to recommend a multi vitamin or thoroughly examine the child to see where the problem is from. It is rather unfortunate i must say, so many African babies must have died as a result of this same act. I am really surprised with the case of the Ghanian nurse, with all her exposure; it is unbelievable that she could take such a decision. What a shame!!! I feel for her - loss of a baby and a jail term (2 in one judgement). I only pray people will learn from this.
Please kindly share your thoughts on this?
