Ekwochi Uchenna, Osuorah Chidiebere D I, Ndu Ikenna K, Ifediora Christian, Asinobi Isaac Nwabueze, Eke Christopher Bismark
Department of Paediatrics, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Enugu State, Enugu, Nigeria.
Child Survival Unit, Medical Research Council UK, The Gambia Unit, Fajara, The Gambia.
J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2016 Jan 27;12:7. doi: 10.1186/s13002-016-0079-x.
Poor nutritional practices especially in pregnancy and early childhood can result in dire consequences in the growth and development of a child.
This study using purposive sampling enrolled 149 women who had carried at least one pregnancy to term in Enugu south east Nigeria. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess association between avoidance of certain food in pregnancy and selected socio-demographic factors.
Approximately 37 % of respondents avoided some foods in pregnancy due to food taboos and no relationship was seen between this avoidance of food and maternal educational attainment, parity (number of obstetrics deliveries) and occupation. Snail and grass-cutter meat were the commonly avoided food in pregnancy while egg were commonly avoided in children under-two years old. Some respondent believed eating snail and grass-cutter meat makes a child sluggish and labour difficult respectively while starting egg early for a child could predispose them to stealing later in life.
Discussion about food taboos during antenatal care visits and during community education can help reduce the traditional belief about certain food in pregnancy and early childhood.
不良的营养习惯，尤其是在孕期和幼儿期，可能会给儿童的生长发育带来严重后果。
本研究采用立意抽样法，招募了149名在尼日利亚东南部埃努古至少有一次足月妊娠的妇女。采用逻辑回归分析来评估孕期避免食用某些食物与选定的社会人口学因素之间的关联。
约37%的受访者因食物禁忌在孕期避免食用某些食物，这种食物回避与母亲的教育程度、产次（产科分娩次数）和职业之间未见关联。蜗牛和草食动物肉是孕期常见的被避免食用的食物，而两岁以下儿童常见的被避免食用的食物是鸡蛋。一些受访者认为，吃蜗牛会使孩子行动迟缓，吃草食动物肉会使分娩困难，而过早让孩子吃鸡蛋可能会使他们日后有偷窃倾向。
在产前检查和社区教育期间讨论食物禁忌有助于减少关于孕期和幼儿期某些食物的传统观念。
