health problems

This morning Ann drove me down the street from RDI’s property to the home of a new baby. She is two weeks old and her little body is covered with mosquito bites. She lies still without crying. The family is very poor. The mother was doing well; her blood pressure has returned to a safe level. Ann spoke with the woman about a large bottle of liquid beside her. The woman explained that people in the village are urging her to drink it to have a healthy baby. It is a mixture of alcohol and honey. It smelled strong. Of course, the alcohol passes right through the mother to the baby in her breastmilk. This often leads to heart failure in many children in Cambodia because alcohol blocks the absorption of vitamin B and iron. This practice is not common outside of the country.