Dr. Nsiah Asare, former Director-General of the Ghana Health Service and Presidential Advisor on Health, has cautioned parents not to bleach their kids.
He has therefore called for the arrest of parents who bleach their babies.
Parents in Ghana have recently begun bleaching their newborns and children’s skins with hazardous, illegal substances.
Skin tone is becoming a status signal in communities across the country, with youngsters being the latest victims. Mothers are using creams containing harmful substances such as hydroquinone, mometasone, and tretinoin, which are all prohibited by Ghana’s Food and Drugs Authority (FDA).
Dr. Nsiah Asare, speaking on Akoma Mu Nsem hosted by Beatrice Spio Garbrah via Akoma 87.9 FM on June 18, warned parents not to use any substance or cream on the skin of their newborn, and has called on authorities to deal with such parents.
”Advise any parent who applies bleaching lotion to their child’s skin to stop, and if they do not listen, report them to the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit. because it’s considered as child abuse,” he said.
“If a pregnant lady wants to bleach her skin, she can do so, but I will advise her to give birth to the baby first before using any bleaching cream on her skin. We do not tone a baby’s skin since it can have a negative impact on the sweat organs, which are critical to the child’s body development,” he added.
Despite scant research on child skin bleaching in Ghana, the World Health Organization estimates that more than one-third of Ghanaians tone their skin.
Dr. Nsiah Asare advises parents to seek medical advice before applying any cream to the skin of their babies.
“Nobody should bleach a child, and if you wish to do so, obtain medical advice before applying any cream to your child because bleaching the child may create liver and Kidney problems in the future,” he warned.
Ghana’s genuine beauty rests not in the color of one’s skin, but in the strength of its people and the richness of its tradition. We must say enough. We must protect our children.
