Female pharmacist cautions mothers against self medication

An Awka-based pharmacist, Mrs. Oby Onuko has cautioned mothers to desist from giving unnecessary medications to their babies less than twelve months old, as it could harm their livers, kidneys and other vital organs.

Pharmacist Onuko who spoke to Journalists in her office in Awka, Anambra state, over the weekend, said that it is every mother’s desire to ensure the wellbeing of her child, but regretted that some mothers, sometimes self-medicate their babies and in turn cause more harm than good to such children.

The medical expert noted that most mothers of newborn babies less than one year are in the habit of self-medicating their babies out of their own instincts, even when such babies are not showing any sign or symptoms for the need of such drugs, thereby damaging their livers and kidneys.

She described it as dangerous where nursing mothers start giving their newborns teething drugs, so that when they start teething, there won’t be any discomfort and urged them to stop such practice to save their babies from health issues.

She revealed that what the nursing mothers do when they give unnecessary medications to their children, is simply to stress and over-work the children’s delicate liver and kidney, which could cause more problems for them in the future.

She therefore advised mothers to always seek the assistance of medical experts in whatever medication they give or wish to give to their newborn babies and children for the overall good of both the babies and their families.