Parents and caregivers have been advised against force-feeding children, with health professionals warning that the practice can cause serious complications and, in extreme cases, result in death. The caution follows concerns over children being admitted to the Rebecca Akufo-Addo Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital with complications linked to force-feeding.
Paediatrician at the unit, Dr Amanda Fofie, told The Mirror in an interview in Accra last week that the facility had treated several children with complications associated with force-feeding over a period of about two years. She said the trend prompted the launch of the “Protect My Little Lungs” campaign, aimed at educating parents and caregivers about the dangers of force-feeding.
“We started this stop force-feeding campaign, ‘Protect My Little Lungs’, about two years ago because we noticed that over the span of about two years, we saw a lot of children who had come in with complications of being force-fed,” she said. Dr Fofie advised parents whose children were eating less than usual to seek medical attention rather than resorting to force-feeding.
“If you have a child who’s not eating much, the best thing you can do is to bring the child to the hospital because a lot of the time, the weight of the child is actually normal,” she said. She explained that some parents’ desire to have plump-looking children could contribute to the practice, despite the potential health risks. “Ghanaian mothers want to see more plump children, which in itself is not very healthy. And so we try to advise them to stop force-feeding,” she said.
The paediatrician further urged parents not to become overly concerned when their children eat only small quantities of food, explaining that children could consume smaller portions of food and drinks at different times throughout the day. “There’s no child who will not eat for a whole day. Even if the child takes just a few spoons, that’s fine,” she said.
“Dr. Fofie urged parents to seek medical care if concerned about a child’s poor appetite, rather than forcing the child to eat. At the unit, Nurse Stephanie Appiah cautioned parents and grandparents against administering palm oil or milk to children who accidentally ingest harmful substances such as cleaning products.
She explained that forcing palm oil into a child’s mouth can cause it to enter the lungs, leading to severe complications. ‘It goes into their lungs and causes very serious effects. Sadly, we have lost many children this way, and even survivors often suffer lasting neurological problems,’ she noted. She emphasised that the immediate response when a child ingests dangerous substances should be to rush them to the nearest health facility.
“Protect My Little Lungs” campaign
Last Friday, the Rebecca Akufo-Addo PICU, with support from the Child Critical Care Foundation, climaxed the month-long “Protect My Little Lungs”—Aspiration Pneumonia Awareness Campaign with a community awareness float.
