Benin

Leslie was invited to be part of a training team to teach nursing staff in Benin on nutrition topics. Together with a nurse, midwife, and NICU nurse, the team of four visited five different clinics throughout Benin, focusing on topics that impacted child and maternal health.

In global nutrition, much programming and education is focused on “the first 1000 days of life,” which are the first days of life from conception to two years of age. These are the most impactful years in a child’s life for good nutrition and achieving growth metrics. The emphasis on the first 1000 days are on nutrition during pregnancy, breastfeeding, and complementary feeding.

Leslie’s role on the team was specifically to teach on nutrition during pregnancy and complementary feeding for children. Complementary feeding is the introduction of foods to a child at around 6 months of age, up to two years, as the child is gradually weaned off breastmilk. These are crucial years to successfully transition a child off breastmilk, and many child fail to thrive during this time due to inadequate feeding.

Focusing on traditional diets and feeding practices, Leslie encouraged what is already working well in the communities and emphasized practices of mothers who have had success in raising healthy children in the community. Complementary feeding practices can vary widely in different cultures, and it is important to build on the healthy cultural practices that already exist in a community, rather than importing outside ideas.

For example, in Benin, many children eat exactly what the family is eating, but in an appropriately prepared way, such as being mashed beforehand. While American mothers may purchase porridge and jars of baby food for their baby’s first foods, these practices would be foreign to Beninese women– and would be prohibitively expensive if they wanted to try it.

Leslie emphasized the positive aspects of childhood feeding practices, but also gave a scientific background on why those feeding practices work. This helped the nursing staff understand why they should continue to teach traditional feeding practices to mothers, as many times there is a sense of inadequacy if practices do not mirror Western practices.

To help the nurses with teaching their patients, Leslie gave them visual aids, a common educational component used throughout much of the world. Visual aids demonstrate, rather than tell, how to do something, and are helpful to reduce barriers of illiteracy or language differences.

With the training by Leslie and the other team members, the nursing staff reported feeling more empowered with knowledge on how to educate their patients on health topics, and also felt more confident in understanding why certain practices lead to positive health outcomes.