Unwanted Pregnancies and Malnutrition Among Women and Children in Internally Displaced Persons Camps in Maiduguri and Environs: A Study of Three Nursing Mothers

Abstract

This paper examined cases of unwanted pregnancies and malnutrition among women and children in IDPs camps within Maiduguri and its environs. Data were gathered through in-depth interview. Due restriction to IDPs camps security and other reasons, the researchers were able to interviewed only three ladies who gave birth through unwanted pregnancies, and three children were observed and their health and nutritional status evaluated. Based on the interaction with the mothers, it was observed that, the reasons advanced by the respondents include hunger, lack of clothes, lack of sleeping items, false promise of marriage and poor or non-nutritional foods were among the causes of the problems. The study found that all the respondents were impregnated by security personnel who were posted to protect the IDPs camps. The study also revealed the deplorable condition, inadequacy or poor and non-nutritional foods supplied which causes malnutrition among children in the camps. The researchers recommended that government should monitor the interaction between the security agents and IDPs in the camps; nutritional food should be provided to prevent children and adults from malnutrition and diseases associated with it.