Bird Flu
Pricey baby food worries mothers
Variety of baby foods is on display at a shop in the port city.Photo: STAR
Bird flu in the port city appears as an added anxiety for the mothers about providing adequate protein to their babies as the price of baby foods continues to spiral. Eggs, powdered milks and some other food items are generally provided to the babies aged up to three or four as protein side by side specially prepared rice and other foods. Prices of powdered milk used as baby food have marked a gradual rise during the last few months, sources said. Most of these baby food items specially powdered milk and other items shot up on an average to Tk 100 to Tk 150 in last one month. The price of Lectozen, widely used powdered milk for one and two years old babies, is on a steep rise. A one kilogram tin-packed Lectogen was being sold at Tk 810 on Friday, which was Tk 780 a week ago and was Tk 715 one month earlier. A 450gram paper-packed carton of the same brand now costs Tk 350 to Tk 360 in the city markets while it was sold at Tk 325 a month ago and at Tk 275 in November last, sources said. A 350gm carton of Nido, another leading powdered milk brand, now costs Tk 240, which was Tk 200 last month and sold at Tk 160 in November last. Price of Dano has increased up to Tk 1,170 per two kilo from Tk 980 in one month. Mothers usually like to give Cerelac, a popular brand food item with different ingredients like rice, wheat and fruits, to their babies as additional food. The 400gm packet of Cerelac (rice), suitable for one year aged babies, is now being sold at Tk 245 while it cost Tk 190 in the early January and Tk 175 in December last. The price of Corn Flakes, a mixture of different food items like barley malt, vitamins (niacin, Vitamin E, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B2, Vitamin V1, Vitamin B12) and folic acid that is served with milk, has also gone up. A 250gm packet of corn flakes costs Tk 245 this week while it was Tk 190 a week ago. Price of Junior Horlics per 400gm marked a sharp rise to Tk 230 against last month's price of Tk 190. Mitra Mazumder, executive of a private bank, expressed her deep concern over the price hike of these important baby foods. She said she depends mostly on powdered milk and other foodstuffs like Cerelac and Horlics as added proteins for her one-year-old baby boy. With this soaring price of powdered milk mothers like Mitra are now facing another problem as they are being forced to avoid egg of hens due to recent outbreak of bird flu in the region. "I used to give my son an egg everyday but I have stopped giving it over the last few weeks fearing the bird flu," Mitra said, adding that she is anxious over her baby's nutrition. Hosne Ara, a journalist, said she has been avoiding egg as food for her one-year-old baby girl for last couple of weeks for fear of bird flu. Happy Barua, a college teacher, said she usually feeds her two children, including a three-years-old daughter, with cow-milk and egg everyday as added protein. She also stopped feeding her children eggs following the recent detection of bird flu. Sale of egg has fallen sharply in different kitchen markets in the port city during the last weeks. Wadud Hossain, owner of Bhai Bhai Egg Shop at Karnaphuli Market, said they would sell 6000 to 7000 eggs a day which has come down to 1500 in recent days. Dr Bashana Muhury, a child specialist at Chittagong Medical College and Hospital (CMCH), however, said there is nothing to be worried for the mothers about their children's protein though they can provide them with egg or milk. He said babies can get first class protein if they are fed with boiled rice and pulse mixed with little edible oil. Dal (pulse) contains eight important amino acid out of ten required for the nutrient, he added. Dr Muhury said mothers can provide all the necessary food ingredients like carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamin and mineral to their children by giving them rice, dal, vegetables, leafy vegetables, some monsoon fruits like banana, edible oil and enough water which ensure the cent per cent nutrient.
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