Judul : Many Myths and Fake News About the First 1,000 Days of Life Circulate in Aceh, Should Be Eliminated
link : Many Myths and Fake News About the First 1,000 Days of Life Circulate in Aceh, Should Be Eliminated
Many Myths and Fake News About the First 1,000 Days of Life Circulate in Aceh, Should Be Eliminated
Pregnant women are also said not to be allowed to eat certain foods, such as crabs, otherwise the child will like to pinch.
Yarmen Dynamic l Banda Aceh
Best for you - A radio talkshow held at Serambi FM Radio Studio on Saturday (5/7/2025) afternoon revealed many things about myths and hoaxes that still circulate in Aceh regarding the first 1,000 days of a child's life (HPK).
Among these myths is the belief that pregnant women should not tie the hijab around their neck, otherwise the baby's umbilical cord will get tangled.
Other myths say that pregnant women should not prepare baby equipment, for fear that the fetus will not be completed (miscarriage).
Besides that, pregnant women should not sit at the door, it will be difficult when giving birth.
Pregnant women are also said not to be allowed to eat certain foods, such as crabs; otherwise, the child will like to pinch.
In addition, pregnant women should not eat high-protein foods, otherwise the baby will have a fishy smell at birth.
Pregnant women are also not advised to eat ferns, fearing that their child will grow fur.
Pregnancy myths emerged during a talkshow organized by the Aceh Health Office, UNICEF Representative in Aceh, and the Indonesian Breastfeeding Mothers Association (AIMI) Branch in Aceh.
Five informants attended the talkshow, namely the Head of the Public Health Division (Kesmas) of the Aceh Health Office,
Ners Yennizar SST, SKep, MSi, Lactation Counselor from AIMI Branch Aceh, Hanum Vine Meilliza STP, and
Division Coordinator KPP - Flower Aceh, Hendra Lesmana.
Two other sources are Wahyuni Amd Keb, as a Village Midwife of Gampong Laksana, Banda Aceh, and Meri Devianti, a Posyandu cadre of Gampong Laksana, Banda Aceh.
This one-hour talkshow is hosted by Yarmen Dinamika, a journalist from Harian Serambi Indonesia.
She started the talkshow by presenting the definition of a myth, which is a story or legend that develops in society and is considered true by many people, but is not supported by historical evidence or scientific evidence.
One of the health myths mentioned by Yarmen is that giving children a lot of fish will make them have worms.
Still related to myths, Hendra Lesmana from LSM Flower added that some people believe that when a woman is newly pregnant, others should not know. "It's a superstition, afraid that it might not proceed, or the baby might be lost," said Hendra.
The issue of hoaxes was also discussed in the talkshow, starting from the definition to examples.
As for hoaxes, they are defined as false information or news that is untrue/lying.
Regarding health-related hoaxes, Hanum Vine Meilliza mentioned an example, namely that some people believe if a baby is sick, only the mother needs to take medicine. In the end, the medicine will reach the child through the mother's breast milk (ASI).
"This is clearly fake news. If you wait for the medicine to reach the baby's mouth through breast milk, the mother might overdose first," said Meilliza.
It also mentioned that the 1,000 HPK are calculated from the pregnancy period or the conception phase, namely 270 days (9 months) until the child is two years old (730 days).
This period is often called the "golden age" or "window of opportunities" because it is very important for the child's growth and development, especially the brain and body.
Meanwhile, Yennizar from the Aceh Health Office explained why 1,000 HPK (Health and Nutrition Period) is considered very urgent in children's lives, even classified as the golden period.
According to him, the growth and development of a child's brain occurs most rapidly, reaching 80 percent in terms of both size and function, precisely during the first 1,000 HPK.
1000 HPK period, next, is an opportunity window (window of opportunities) to provide the best for the child, in terms of nutrition, stimulation, and optimal health (for pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and the child).
"Indeed, nutritional deficiencies during the first 1000 HPK will result in impaired child growth (stunting) and their ability to earn a living in the future will be lower compared to non-stunted children," he said.
Myths about breast milk
As a breastfeeding counselor, Meilliza said that
Myths are not only common during pregnancy, but even after the baby is born, for example, those related to breast milk, many are still believed by the community.
For example, Meilliza said, colostrum or the first breast milk, because of its yellow color, many people think it is spoiled breast milk.
Thus, it is discarded and not given to newborn babies, although colostrum has great benefits for the baby, including components that form the body's immunity (resistance).
Other myths, such as Meilliza, say that breastfeeding will cause the mother's body shape to change (loose and breasts will become saggy), making her afraid that her husband will no longer love her.
Other myths, continued Meilliza, are that small breasts cannot produce enough breast milk.
As a result, in the first few days, if breast milk has not yet come out, it is often considered as insufficient breast milk, and then formula milk (sufor) is given to the baby.
"This is a misunderstanding due to believing myths or falling for fake news," said Meilliza.
I recommend that such myths and hoaxes must be countered, opposed, and eradicated, as they are dangerous for pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and their babies.
Hendra Lesmana reminded that for mothers who have just given birth and whose breast milk has not yet come in, do not rush to give the baby a bottle.
Complementary foods should only be given after the baby is six months old. "Before six months, breast milk alone is sufficient," said Hendra.
Meilliza added that UNICEF has established guidelines on when newborns can be given syrup. One of them is if the baby's mother suffers from HIV/AIDS. This is done to prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS to the baby.
It is also very dangerous if a baby who should not drink sufor is given sufor, and even added with sugar to make it sweet.
She also refers to it as a myth, if the mother drinks milk or galactagogue, it can make her breast milk flow.
Sri Wahyuni, as a village midwife, and Meri Devianti, as a Posyandu cadre from Gampong Laksana, Banda Aceh, enlivened the talkshow with several examples of myths that still exist in urban society. However, their number is no longer as many as those that are still developing in rural Aceh.
"In the city, almost no parents prohibit their children from being vaccinated, because they know the benefits for preventing certain diseases. But this is not the case in remote villages. And this is one of the challenges faced by medical workers," he said.
Meri Devianti urges that preparedness to face the 1,000 HPK period should be arranged since the couple is about to get married.
"Carry out health checks for the bride and groom, and prepare their mental state as future parents. The bride should not forget to take iron tablets, and challenge myths that are harmful to child-rearing patterns so that children can grow optimally," he said.
Yennizar and Hendra agree that efforts to eliminate myths and hoaxes about 1,000 HPK must be carried out systematically, simultaneously, and target accurately.
Because myths are usually passed down from grandmothers to mothers, for example, if a baby cries because it is considered hungry, just give it a banana, then the grandmothers need to be educated that these myths are not supported by scientific facts.
Based on that, Flower Aceh has a program to be implemented, namely educating the group of grandmothers and grandfathers in Aceh so that they no longer pass on myths and fake news to their children, which can hinder the growth and development of their grandchildren.
As soon as the father becomes a father, said Hendra, he must be an alert father who, during his wife's pregnancy, at least can accompany his wife four times to check her pregnancy at the posyandu.
In addition, the wife's nutrition and protein intake must be maintained and supplemented by her husband, because the one who needs nutrients during pregnancy is no longer just the wife, but also the fetus, which also requires nourishment.
In short, Yarmen said at the end of the talkshow, let's fight the myths and hoaxes surrounding 1,000 HPK and prepare "Aceh's noble rice" as well as possible to face a bright, healthy, and productive future in the Golden Indonesia era. (*)
Demikianlah Artikel Many Myths and Fake News About the First 1,000 Days of Life Circulate in Aceh, Should Be Eliminated
Anda sekarang membaca artikel Many Myths and Fake News About the First 1,000 Days of Life Circulate in Aceh, Should Be Eliminated dengan alamat link https://www.punyakamu.com/2025/07/many-myths-and-fake-news-about-first.html
0 Response to "Many Myths and Fake News About the First 1,000 Days of Life Circulate in Aceh, Should Be Eliminated"
Post a Comment