Pregnant Women Should Avoid Traditional Birth Homes, Visit Antenatal Clinics

Pregnant women are being advised to avoid traditional birth attendants, visit antenatal clinics for checkups, and get vaccinated with their babies during pregnancies and after childbirth.

The call was made as the NNPC Exploration and Production Limited doled N8.4 million out to 84 spud babies in Onna and Easter Obolo Council of Akwa Ibom State as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

The call and the donation were made at a programme, themed: Mother and Child Community Support.

The donation was made to celebrate babies born during the spudding period and motivate pregnant mothers to attend ante-natal and get vaccinated alongside their babies during pregnancy and after birth.

Mr. Luwei Doubra Godswill, who represented the Manager of Community Relation Development and the Managing Director, of NNPC E&P Limited, Ali Zarah, said spud babies are babies born within the period there is spudding in any community.

He explained that any period they have spud in any community, they celebrate babies born within the period.

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According to him, spudding is the time of drilling a new well in an area.

He added that each baby received a cheque of N100,000.00, adding 39 babies were celebrated alongside their mothers last year.

Doubra said the programme also encourages pregnant mothers to attend clinics for antenatal and get vaccinated alongside their babies during pregnancies and after childbirth.

He explained that only children born in clinics/health centres and children that received normal vaccination against polio and other killer disease were selected through attendance at various health centres in the communities.

In her lecture, Atim Asuquo Ulo, a matron, said mothers giving birth at traditional birth homes face higher maternal and infant morbidity and mortality risks, stressing that immunisation protects infants and toddlers against childhood killer diseases and also helps to prevent the spread of diseases from one person to another.

“Immunisation is one of the most impactful and most effective public health interactions available, averting over four million deaths every year.