Against the narratives that cowhide otherwise known as Ponmo contains no nutritional benefit, a dietitian, Mrs. Oluwakemi Olanrewaju, has said it provides the body with important nutrients. In an interview with our correspondent, Olanrewaju said although Ponmo had low nutritional value when compared to other protein sources, it contained beneficial nutrients and contributes adequately to peoples’ diets.

She said, “Over the years, people have debated about the nutritional value of Ponmo. Growing up, we were told that it doesn’t contain any nutrient and it is just considered as skin but after so many scientific studies, Ponmo actually contains beneficial nutrients which provide the body with important nutrients.

Gynaecologists have said that women living with polycystic ovarian syndrome suffer from psychological trauma because most people have misconceptions about the health condition. Polycystic ovarian syndrome, commonly called PCOS, is characterised by the lack of or infrequent menstruation, growth of male pattern hair and severe acne in women.

The experts explained that the importance of PCOS as a public health issue prompted the decision to make the whole of September a PCOS awareness month. According to the experts, PCOS now accounts for 15 to 20 per cent of infertility cases in Nigeria.

Maternal and health experts have warned mothers against making babies, especially those less than one year, sleep on their stomachs, noting that such a sleeping position makes the babies more susceptible to suffocation, convulsions and sudden death.

According to the experts, sleeping on the stomach is dangerous for the infant, especially when the baby remains in that position for a long time. The experts pointed out that putting babies on their stomachs to sleep comes with a lot of health issues, warning that normal breathing may become compromised, especially when the bed surface is too soft or woollen.

The Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria has called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in the nation’s health sector due to a number of issues. The MDCAN’s newly elected National President, Dr. Victor Makanjuola, made the call at a news conference organised by the National Officers’ Committee of the association on Sunday in Ibadan.

Makanjuola said that members of the association, at the 12th Biennial Delegates Meeting, were alarmed by the exodus of medical doctors, spate of insecurity, poor welfare of members and lack of modern facilities, among other issues.