Ityhefu—Yelothe Imiphumo Yayo Eyingozi
‘ESONA sifo sixhaphakileyo sinzulu sabantwana.’ “Isisongelo esigqwesileyo ehlabathini kubantwana.” Njengokuba kusenokuba uye waqashela, ezi zisongelo zichazwe apha zikwabhekisela kwinto enye: ityhefu yelothe.
Ngokutsho kweCDC (U.S. Centers for Disease Control [Amaziko Okuthintela Izifo AseUnited States]), “ngokukhethekileyo ngabantwana abachanabeke kakhulu kwimiphumo ebulalayo yelothe. Ubukhulu becala, ityhefu yelothe ayizicacisi: abantwana abatyhefwe yiyo ababi nazimpawu. Ngoko ke, uninzi lwabagula yiyo, bayaqhubeka bengaqondwa yaye benganyangwa. . . . Le asiyongxaki ngokuyintloko yabantwana abahlala kwizixeko ezinabemi abaninzi okanye abambalwa. Akukho qela lihambele phambili kwezentlalo nakwezoqoqosho, abemi bommandla othile, okanye abesizwe okanye bohlanga oluthile abangachaphazelekiyo.” Le ngxelo yongezelela ithi: “Ityhefu yelothe ehlasela abantwana iyingozi zwenibanzi.”
Indlela Ilothe Ebachaphazela Ngayo Abantwana
Kuqikelelwa ukuba ukususela kwizigidi ezithathu ukuya kwezine zabantwana abangaphantsi kweminyaka emithandathu ubudala eUnited States kuphela banemilinganiselo yelothe egazini labo ephakame kakhulu ukuba yonakalise ukukhula ngokuqhelekileyo. Oku kusenokuthetha nayiphi na into ukususela ekuncipheni kwamandla okufunda ukuya kutsho ekuguleni ngengqondo. Yaye ukuba oko kunjalo kwilizwe elinye, amanani azwenibanzi amele ukuba othusa kakhulu.
EAfrika, eAsia, eMexico nakuMbindi Mpuma, ilothe isasetyenziswa maxa wambi njengeyeza ngabo bangabaziyo ubungozi bayo. Iyasetyenziswa ukunceda ukuqunjelwa, ukuthintela ukosuleleka kwenkaba kwananjengento yokonwaya iintsini zosana.
Obu bungozi abukho kumlinganiselo wokuba abantwana bade boyisakale baze bafe ngenxa yetyhefu yelothe. Kunjengokuba inkupho yowe-1991 yeFDA Consumer yabonisayo, ukubulawa kwabantwana yityhefu yelothe akuxhaphakanga. Kodwa sekunjalo imiphumo yayo iseyingozi. Ilothe ngokufanelekileyo iye yabizwa ngokuba “ngumbulali wengqiqo.” Iphephancwadi iNewsweek lacaphula elinye igosa lezempilo lisithi: “Kukho inani elikhulu labantwana abafumana ubunzima ekwenzeni umsebenzi wokuhlahlela okanye kwanokuma emgceni ezivenkileni ngenxa yokuba iingqondo zabo zizele ilothe.”
Ezinye iimpawu zabantwana abanetyhefu yelothe ziquka ukucaphuka msinya, ukungehli kobuthongo, ihlaba esiswini, umlambo nokugula ngokubaxekileyo. Ukonakala kwenkqubo yokusebenza kwemithambo-luvo, okuhamba nokugushugushuza okungapheliyo—ngokungathi sisilwanyana esivalelweyo, njengokuba omnye ugqirha wakuchaza njalo—kusenokuba lolunye uphawu lomntwana onjalo. Kwiimeko eziqatha kakhulu, bambi abantwana basenokuba nengxaki yokufa isiqaqa nokuvela bahlaselwe zizifo, yaye kwanasemva kokuba befikelele ubuntu obukhulu, basenokuqhubeka beneengxaki ezingokweemvakalelo. Yimbi yale miphumo isenokuhlala ihleli utsho njalo umlawuli weSebe Lokuthintela Ityhefu Yelothe kwiCDC. Kude kube kwenziwe uphando, abazali ngokufuthi baxakiwe ngoonobangela besi sifo siyingozi.
Kutheni Abantwana Bechanabeke Ngolu Hlobo?
Ilothe iyingozi ngokukodwa ebantwaneni ngenxa yezizathu ezibini. Esokuqala, abantwana bahlaselwa yeyona milinganiselo iphantsi yelothe kunaleyo ichaphazela abantu abakhulu. Ekubeni ingqondo nenkqubo yokusebenza kwemithambo-luvo yabo isakhula, bayifumana ngokulula kakhulu imiphumo yelothe. Esesibini, abantwana, ngenxa yokuziphatha kwabo nezinto abazenzayo, kulula kakhulu kubo ukuba bafumane ilothe kwindawo abahlala kuyo.
Ngokomzekelo qwalasela ipeyinti enelothe, isengumthombo omkhulu wongcoliso. Kumazwe apho kusemthethweni ukusebenzisa ipeyinti elolo hlobo ezindlwini, abantu abaguliswa yityhefu yelothe ngokuqinisekileyo baya kwanda. Yaye ngoxa amazwe amaninzi kwiminyaka yakutshanje eye akuphelisa ukusetyenziswa kweepeyinti ezinelothe, le peyinti isekho kwizindlu ezindala. Iindonga, iindawo zokuvula iifestile, izinto zokudlala, iibhedi zabantwana nempahla yendlu zisenokuba zisenoqweqwe lwayo. Ngokomzekelo, eUnited States kuqikelelwa ukuba izigidi ezithathu zeetoni zelothe zisasele kumakhaya angama-57 ezigidi. Phakathi kwiminyaka yee-1980 izigidi ezithile ezili-13,6 zabantwana baseMerika abangaphantsi kweminyaka esixhenxe ubudala babehlala kumakhaya aneepeyinti ezinelothe. Ngaphezu kwesigidi sabo mhlawumbi babenemilinganiselo ephakamileyo yelothe eyingozi egazini labo.
Ummandla opeyintwe kakuhle usenokungabangeli bungozi. Kodwa njengokuba ipeyinti iya isiba ndala, iqalisa ukuchachamba ize ixobuke. Ekubeni ilothe inencasa, kulula ngabantwana ukuba batye loo maxolo epeyinti. Iintsana ziye zaginya ilothe ekwiindawo zokuvula iifestile ezixobukayo. Yaye xa ipeyinti ekugqibeleni isiba luthuli, abantwana bayithabatha ngeminwe yabo kwizinto zokudlala, kwimigangatho nakwiikhaphethi—ngokungaphephekiyo isuka apho iye kwimilomo yabo, emathunjini nasesiswini nakumsinga wegazi. Abantwana abaphakathi kweenyanga ezintandathu neminyaka emithandathu bachanabeke ngokukodwa.
Iphephancwadi iNewsweek lithi: “Yilothe encinane kakhulu eye ibangele ityhefu yelothe. Umntwana usenokuba netyhefu yelothe ngokuqatha (engama-60-80 eemicrogram ngedesilitha nganye) ngokutya imilligram enye yothuli olunepeyinti enelothe—olulingana namagaqa amathathu eswekile—usuku ngalunye ngoxa esemncinane.” Kumntwana kulula ukuba semngciphekweni, ukutya kwakhe uthuli olunepeyinti kulingana nje negaqa elinye leswekile ngosuku. INewsweek ithi: “Kungenxa yoko umntwana esenokugula nje ngenxa yokubamba rhoqo indawo yokuvula ifestile aze amunce ubhontsi wakhe,” yongezelela isithi abazali “ngokulula abayiqondi—okanye abayikholelwa—into yokuba uthuli olukwindawo yokuvula ifestile lunokuthi ngokungaqondakaliyo lube inxalenye ethile yobuchule bomntwana bexesha elizayo.”
Ilothe Nemveku Engekazalwa
Le ngxaki ide inabele nakwizibeleko zoomama abakhulelweyo, apho ingqondo esakhulayo nenkqubo yokusebenza kwemithambo-luvo yomntwana isenokuba sengozini. Xa umama okhulelweyo efaka ilothe emzimbeni wakhe, enoba kungokuyitya okanye ngokuphefumla yenjenjeya ukuya kumsinga wakhe wegazi. Yandula ke idlule ngenkaba iye kwimveku engekazalwa. Umntwana usenokuba nengxaki yokonakala kwemithambo-luvo okanye ukuncipha kwamandla engqiqo yakhe. Omnye umbhali ngezempilo uthi: “Ukuba ibhinqa elikhulelweyo liginye nokuba lisuntswana elincinane lelothe, lisenokuphumela ngeplacenta liye kusana olungekazalwa.” Yaye iScience News yathi: “Uphando lungqine ukuba amabhinqa asebenza ngelothe kwimizi-mveliso aba nengxaki enkulu yokungazali, ukuzala abantwana befile, ukuzala ngaphambi kwexesha nokuzala abantwana abaneziphene.”
Nootata basenokufak’ isandla kwiingozi ezinjalo. Ilothe ekumsinga wegazi wamadoda isenokubangela umonakalo nokucotha kwembewu yendoda, nto leyo esenokuthintela ukukhawula okanye ibangele iziphene kwiimveku ezingekazalwa. Kuqikelelwa ukuba ama-400 000 abantwana abangekazalwa bamabhinqa aseMerika bangcoliswe yilothe kangangokuba baya kuba nengxaki yokukhula. Ekubeni ityhefu yelothe ingubhubhani wazwenibanzi, inani labantwana abangekazalwa abachatshazelweyo limele ngokwenene libe likhulu kakhulu.
Asingobantwana Kuphela
Kucacile ukuba, nabantu abakhulu basengozini. Ukuze bakhusele abantwana babo, bamele bazikhusele. Bona bachanabeke njani kwilothe? Iingcali ziyavuma ukuba ngaphandle kwepeyinti esendlwini, eyona mithombo ibalaseleyo yokuchanabeka kwilothe namhlanje ngamanzi ngenxa yemibhobho (njengemibhobho yobhedu esenokuba idityaniswe ngelothe) nepetroli enelothe. Ezikolweni nakwiiofisi, imithombo yamanzi eneetanki zamanzi isenokuba idityaniswe ngelothe. Elinye igosa le-EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [Iziko Lokukhusela Imeko-bume LaseUnited States]) liqikelela ukuba: “Malunga nama-20 ekhulwini okuchanabeka kwilothe avela ekuseleni amanzi.” Amaziko Ezinto Eziyityhefu Nokubhalwa Kwezifo karhulumente anikela ingxelo yokuba umlinganiselo welothe “okwizipholisi zamanzi zombane unokuphakama gqitha, yaye usenokubangela umngcipheko ophakame kakhulu wetyhefu kumntu ngamnye, kungekhona nje kubantwana.”
Ukongezelela kule ngxaki, abazali basenokuza nelothe ekhaya ngeempahla abazinxiba kwindawo abasebenza kuyo baze bandise ukuchanabeka kwabantwana babo. Kuye kwaqikelelwa ukuba phantse izigidi ezisibhozo zabasebenzi baseUnited States kuphela zichanabeke kwilothe kwindawo abasebenza kuyo. Umlinganiselo omkhulu waba ngamabhinqa.
Abo bagcina iziselo ezinxilisayo okanye ezinye iziselo kwiigilasi ezenziwe ngeekristale zelothe bakwasemngciphekweni, ekubeni iikristale zelothe zisenokuncamathela kwisiselo eso. Ngokufanayo, izinto zomdongwe ezingazange zitshiswe ngomlinganiselo ophakame ngokupheleleyo wobushushu zisenokukhuphela amahlwantsi elothe asuka kuqweqwe lokuzenza zimenyezele ekutyeni. Ngokomzekelo, esinye isibini sathenga iimagi zekofu ngoxa sasikuhambo kwilizwe lasemzini. Kwafunyaniswa ukuba ezo magi zazikhupha ilothe eyiphindaphinda ngama-300 imilinganiselo yezempilo evunyelweyo kwilizwe laso. Eso sibini sagula ngokuqatha emva kokusebenzisa ezo magi kangangethuba elifutshane. Ukongezelela, iinkonkxa zokutya ezitywinwe ngelothe, ezisasetyenziswayo kumazwe athile, zibangela umlinganiselo ophantsi wetyhefu yelothe.
Abantu abathanda ukusebenzisa imipu bakwasengozini yetyhefu yelothe. Kutheni? Kaloku, uphando lwakutshanje luye lwabonisa ukuba abo bahlala kwiindawo apho abantu bathanda ukudubula baye banemilinganiselo ephakamileyo yelothe abayifumene ngokusezela uthuli olunelothe. Iphephancwadi iScience News linikela ingxelo yokuba, ukudubula nokuphuma okungabonakaliyo kweembumbulu zelothe njengokuba ziphuma kumpu zithumela amahlwantsi elothe emoyeni, yaye lowo udubulayo uyazisezela emiphungeni yakhe. Ezinye iimpawu ezidwelisiweyo kukuva incasa ekrakra ngokungapheliyo nedumbe ebangelwa yimithambo luvo. Olunye uphando lwabonisa ukuba amalungu entsapho asenokuba sengozini yokuchanabeka kakhulu kwilothe ngenxa yabo basebenzisa imipu abazisa ekhaya uthuli lwelothe ngeempahla zabo.
Ngenxa yokuba ityhefu yelothe ixhaphake yaye iyingozi kangaka kubantwana nakubantu abakhulu, ngokucacileyo umbuzo olandelayo ngulo: Yintoni enokwenziwa ukuze ithintelwe?
[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 25]
Yilothe Engakanani Umzimba Onokumelana Nayo?
KUXA ingakanani ilothe xa iyegqith’ emgceni? Ingakanani umzimba onako ukumelana nayo ngokukhuselekileyo? Ngoxa izazinzulu zisaxoxa ngale mibuzo amazwe amaninzi aye amisela imithetho yokuthintela ityhefu yelothe, ubuncinane kwipeyinti enelothe. IOstreliya yawubhala loo mthetho kwiincwadi zayo emva phayaa kwiminyaka yee-1920. IBritani, iGrisi, iPoland neSweden zamisela imithetho efanayo ekupheleni kwelo shumi leminyaka. IUnited States ayizange iwumisele uMthetho Wokuthintela Ityhefu Yepeyinti Enelothe kwada kwangowe-1971.
Noko ke, ukususela ngoko iUnited States iye yamisela imithetho engqongqo kakhulu mayela noku. Ngowe-1985 iCDC (U.S. Centers for Disease Control [Amaziko Okuthintela Izifo AseUnited States]) yawuthoba umlinganiselo owamkelekileyo welothe egazini ukuya kutsho kuma-25 emicrogram (iigram ezingama-25 ezahlulwe ngamaqhezu azizigidi) zelothe ngedesililtha nganye yegazi. Oko kwakungaphantsi kwesiqingatha somlinganiselo wegazi oogqirha ababewubekile ngokubanzi emva phayaa ngowe-1970, owawungama-60 eemicrogram ngedesilitha nganye. Kodwa ekuhambeni kweminyaka, uphando olungakumbi lwabonisa ukuba abantwana basenokwenzakaliswa nayimilinganiselo yelothe engaphantsi. Ngoko ngowe-1991, iCDC kwakhona yawuthoba umlinganiselo owamkelekileyo wangaphantsi kwesiqingatha, bewuthoba waya kutsho kwishumi leemicrogram ngedesilitha nganye.
Nangona kukho ingxoxo eshushu ngophando olwazisa le nguqulelo, olunye uphando luye lwafumana iziphumo ezifanayo. Ngokomzekelo, uphando olwenziwa izihlandlo ezibini eSkotlani luye lwanxulumanisa ilothe esegazini ephantsi kangange-11 leemicrogram ngedesilitha nganye nokuncipha kwamandla okucinga neengxaki zabantwana zokuziphatha. Yaye kunjengokuba iBangkok Post yathi ebutsheni bowe-1992, imithetho enjengaleyo yaseThailand yokukhusela abantu abakhulu kwilothe isenokungabakhuseli abantwana—ngokukodwa abangekazalwa.
[Ibhokisi/Umfanekiso okwiphepha 26]
Ityhefu Yelothe—Ingxaki Yamandulo
ILOTHE kusenokuba yayisetyenziswa kwasebutsheni bowama-3000 B.C.E. AmaYiputa amandulo ayeyisebenzisa ekukroleni nasekubumbeni izinto zodongwe, amaFenike namaKhaledi ayerhweba ngayo, yaye amaGrike aseAtene ayenemigodi yayo kangangeenkulungwane ezisixhenxe. Kodwa yaba ngamaRoma, ebudeni bolawulo looKesare, awaba ngawokuqala ukufumanisa ukubaluleka kwelothe kwezoshishino—baza bangabona basengxakini enkulu ngenxa yoko bakufumanisayo.
Abasebenzi abaqeqeshiweyo babesongela ilothe eninzi kwimibhobho emide eli-15 ukuze bayisebenzise ekutywineni kwinkqubo yabo yokuhambisa amanzi. AmaRoma namaGrike amisela umzekelo kubasebenzi ngemibhobho banamhlanje ngendlela yokudibanisa imibhobho yelothe. Ngaloo ndlela imibhobho emide kangangeekhilomitha eziliqela inokudityaniswa ukuze ihambise amanzi kwimigama emide. Kwakhona amaRoma asebenzisa ilothe kwizinto zokusela, kwizinto zokugcina iwayini nezinto zokupheka. Ulwelo lokukhusela imozulu olwenziwe ngelothe lwaveliswa ukuze kwenziwe uphahla.
Kodwa kanye njengokuba ukusetyenziswa kwelothe kungeyonto intsha, isibakala sokuba igulisa abantu asinakuba yinto efunyenwe kutshanje. Iphephancwadi iScience News ithi: “Ubuncinane kangangama-2 000 eminyaka, abantu baye bayiphawula ilothe njengeyona iyingozi kakhulu nakubeni babengayiqondi indlela eyingozi ngayo.” Noko ke, kubonakala ukuba ubukhulu becala amaRoma amandulo ayengabazi obona bungozi belothe. Ngokutsho kukaJerome Nriagu weZiko Lesizwe LaseKhanada Eliphanda Ngamanzi, ngokuqhelekileyo babesongeza kwiwayini yabo inyhobhanyhobha eyenziwe ngomdiliya eyayibiliswa kwizinto ezenziwe ngelothe. Iphephancwadi iNewsweek limcaphula okaNriagu esithi: “Icetshana elinye kuphela laloo nyhobhanyhobha linokuba lininzi gqitha ukubangela ityhefu yelothe engapheliyo.” Yaye iinkokeli zamaRoma zaziyisela kakhulu iwayini. Lo kaNriagu uqikelela ukuba abantu abakumgangatho ophezulu waseRoma babesela iwayini ukususela kwilitha enye ukusa kwezintlanu yonke imihla!
IThe Medical Post yaseKhanada ithi: “Esinye isizathu sokuphanza kwelizwe laseRoma, yayikukuthanda kwabo ukwenza incasa kwiiwayini zabo ngokufaka ilothe.” Enye ingxelo ithi: “Ityhefu evela ekusetyenzisweni kakhulu kwezinto ezenziwe ngelothe, izixhobo, izinto zokuthambisa, izinto zokugcina iwayini nemibhobho yamanzi isenokuba yayingoonobangela bokuphambana kwabalawuli [bamaRoma] nobudlolo nemilinganiselo yokuzalwa kwabantwana befile zinto ezo ezaqhubeka zithintela udidi olulawulayo ukuba lube nabantu bokuluthabathela indawo.”
[Ibhokisi/Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 28]
Ilothe Kubomi Basendle
UKUBA ungumthandi wobomi basendle, usenokwenziwa buhlungu kukwazi ukuba kangangezigidi ezithathu zeentaka zamanzi ziyafa nyaka ngamnye ngenxa yetyhefu yelothe. Nakule meko, ityhefu yelothe ibizwa ngokuba “sisifo esingabonakaliyo” ekubeni ibakho ngendlela engaqondakaliyo. ISebe Lezangaphakathi laseUnited States linikela ingxelo yokuba intaka nganye abazingeli abayibulalayo, i-0,23 leekhilogram zeembumbulu zelothe ezifakwa kwimipu ziphelela kulo mmandla osingqongileyo. Izazinzulu zisenza uhlolisiso kwiisentimitha ezimbalwa ngaphantsi komhlaba ofumileyo, kumachibi nakumadike ziye zafumana kwimimandla ethile ngaphezu kwama-250 000 eembumbulu zelothe kwihektare nganye! Kwakhona iintsinjana ezenziwe ngelothe ezenzelwe ukuloba iintlanzi nezilahleka ngaphantsi kwamanzi ziyangcolisa.
Emva kokuphela kwexesha lokuloba, amadada nezinye iintaka zasemanzini xa zifuna ukutya ziye ziginye ezi mbumbulu. Kwiintsuku ezintathu ukuya kwezilishumi, ityhefu iye ifikelele kumsinga wegazi ize isiwe kumalungu abalulekileyo—intliziyo, isibindi nezintso. Kwiintsuku ezili-17 ukuya kwezingama-21, loo ntaka iye ife isiqaqa ize ife. Amakhozi asenokufumana ityhefu yelothe ngokuginya amahlwantsi ancathame kwimizimba yeentaka zasemanzini azityayo. Ukususela ngowe-1966, ngaphezu kwe-120 ezi ntaka zitya inyama zinqabileyo aye afunyanwa ebulewe lungcoliso lwelothe—ngaphezu kwesiqingatha sazo zafunyanwa ngowe-1980. Kambe ke, eli nani lelaloo makhozi imizimba yawo yaye yahlolisiswa waza unobangela wokufa kwawo waziwa; kusenokwenzeka ukuba liqhezu nje lenani elipheleleyo.