In an impoverished Haitian community, a mother mixes water and flour in a bottle for her crying infant. Although the milk will fill the baby’s stomach, it is not a suitable substitute for breast milk because it does not provide sufficient nutrients for a growing baby.
In explaining why many Haitian women no longer breast-feed their infants, Kathryn Bolles, director of the nutrition program for the Children’s Medical Missions of Haiti (CMMH), noted, “Bottle feeding is a sign of status in Haiti.”
With a $50,000 grant from Episcopal Relief and Development, CMMH is implementing the Hearth Nutrition Program in communities around Leogane. Developed by Dr. Gretchen Berggren, a CMMH board member, the program trains health workers to educate women about the benefits of breast-feeding, counsels mothers on nutrition, and teaches them how to prepare wholesome meals and how to monitor their children's growth.
In Haiti, the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, malnutrition accounts for nearly 60 percent of all deaths of children under five. Poor nutrition has left many people mentally and physically handicapped. Through the nutrition program, community health workers monitor infants and children up to five years of age. When they see healthy children thriving despite poverty, they investigate what foods these children eat and how much and how often they eat. This information helps establish healthy eating practices in Haiti.
“Haitians eat one large meal a day,” Ms. Bolles said. “Because children have small stomachs, the program instructs mothers to feed their children small meals during the day to maintain their health.
“We educate mothers about foods that grow in their community and are free. For example, watercress grows everywhere. Spinach and leaves from pepper and pumpkin plants, which contain vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and potassium, can be cooked with rice dishes or stews to help make their children stronger and healthier.”