Increasing number of children born without limbs in Morobo County

In Rodoba Primary Health Care Center Margret Sitima’s third baby was born with neither arms nor legs. Such cases are increasingly common in the South Sudan’s Morobo County that lies next to Uganda and DR Congo.

It is unclear what is causing this trend, and concrete figures of how many are affected are not available. While community elders see it as a curse of the gods, health practitioners blame the trend on chemicals and drugs.

The (probable) cause of such abnormalities maybe chemicals, that (most) women use in excess.”

“Women should avoid drug abuse because many of them who use it (drugs) face such problems,” said Florence Angu, a midwife and a nurse at the health center that helped Margret give birth to her child. “The (probable) cause of such abnormalities maybe chemicals, that (most) women use in excess.”

At the center, she says that Margret’s case is just one among many. Many more go undocumented because most women deliver at home. Florence stressed that some of the abnormalities could be avoided, if women stopped using intoxicating drugs, especially when pregnant.

An authority in Morobo has been dealing with increasing drug abuse, especially in the county’s towns. Recently they have arrested a number of people in possession of narcotics or regionally distilled strong alcohol commonly known as Kavera.

The Morobo County authority however say that children born without limbs are isolated cases. The County Health Director, Remo Elisa said that the cause of the rising incidence is unknown but added that drugs could be to blame.

“Some of the factors contributing to that (rise in cases) can be too much drug usage by pregnant women; chemicals especially for bleaching which is very commonly used (in South Sudan) can also cause it. Those chemicals can also cause cancer in the mothers,” he added.

Chemicals especially for bleaching which is very commonly used (in South Sudan) can also cause it.”

Remo said there are only two official cases of these abnormalities in the county, but added that only a minority of pregnant women deliver in health centres, meaning that there are no complete statistics available.

He urges pregnant women to always attend to pre-birth care at health centres. Remo says that if his county manages to get a majority of pregnant women to attend antenatal care, they would reduce the problem.

Margret declines to comment on whether she has used drugs in the past but stresses she will do her best to care for her child. “I will take care of it (child) because it is God who has given it to me,” she said.

As doctors together with the local authorities discuss ways on how to halt the trend, the Episcopal Church is teaching people like Margret how to care for their disabled children.

According to the Church training programme officer, Yakani Stephen, his church wants to encourage parents of these children to treat them without discrimination.

According to Yakani, his programme also offers free treatment to people with disabilities, adding that his programme is essential in Morobo where the community has recently witnessed the birth of many children with disabilities.