‘Uhlobo Oluphendukezelwe Kakhulu Lokuphathwa Kabi Kwabantwana’
Izandla zowesifazane zikinatela intamo yomntwana. Khona-ke uyacindezela—kancane kancane eklinya umntwana. Usana olungenakuzivikela luyakhahlekhahlela. Ngaso kanye lesosikhathi owesifazane uyazithambisa kancane izandla. Umntwana uyapaquza efuna umoya kodwa asinde kulokho kuhlasela. Kungekudala, owesifazane uyawubamba futhi umqadlana, aqale ukushushisa futhi. Uyaphinda futhi awudedele eshiya usana lupaquza. . . .
LOKHO osanda kukufunda kuchaza ukuhlupheka okunjengalokho umntwana ongakazalwa aba nakho lapho ephathwa kabi unina obhemayo.
Umonakalo Ohlala Njalo
Ingabe kuyihaba? Akunjalo neze. Isihloko seNew York Times sibika ukuthi amanani andayo okuhlola kwezesayensi abonisa ukuthi umama obhema ngaso sonke isikhathi angase alethe ukukhubazeka okuhlala njalo okungokomzimba nokungokwengqondo kumntwana wakhe. Okunye kwalokho kulimala, kusho lesihloko, “kuyashesha ukubonakala kuyilapho okunye kuvela kancane kancane ngokwengeziwe.”
Kungaziphi izindlela ukubhema kukamama okumthinta ngayo umntwana ongakazalwa? UDkt. William G. Cahan, udokotela wasesibhedlela sokufundisa odokotela kuyiMemorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center eUnited States nongumbhali wesihloko sikamagazini iTimes, uyachaza: “Ngemizuzu embalwa nje ukudonswa ngakunye kukagwayi kufaka egazini likamama okhulelwe icarbon monoxide nenicotine.” Njengoba icarbon monoxide inciphisa amandla egazi okuthwala umoya-mpilo futhi inicotine impintsha imithambo yegazi enongwaneni, “umntwana ongakazalwa uncishwa okwesikhashana isilinganiso sakhe esivamile somoya-mpilo. Uma lokhu kuncishwa kuphindaphindwa izikhathi eziningi kakhulu,” kusho udokotela Cahan, “kungalimaza ngokungenakwelapheka ingqondo yombungu, okuyisici esikuzwela ngokukhethekile ukuntuleka komoya-mpilo.”
Ngokwesibonelo, okunye ukuhlola, kwembula ukuthi imizuzu emihlanu ngemva kokuba abesifazane abakhulelwe bebheme imicu emibili kuphela kagwayi, imibungu yabo yabonisa izimpawu zokucindezeleka—ukushaya ngamandla kwenhliziyo okuhambisana nokunyakanyakaza okungavamile okusakuphefumula.
Ababhema Iphakethe Ngosuku
Khona-ke, kwenzekani kumntwana ongakazalwa uma unina ebhema imicu kagwayi engama-20, noma iphakethe elilodwa, ngosuku? UDkt. Cahan ulinganisela ukuthi umuntu obhema ngokusesilinganisweni uhogela intuthu kahlanu umucu kagwayi ngamunye. Ngakho-ke, umkhuba wokubhema iphakethe ngosuku uphumela ekuhogeleni intuthu izikhathi eziyikhulu ngosuku. Njengoba ukukhulelwa kuba khona, cishe izinsuku ezingama-270, umama ubeka umbungu okungenani “ezingozini zamakhemikhali omzimba ezingama-27 000.”
Abantwana abaphathwa kabi ngaleyondlela bangase bakhokhe intengo yokuphila konke ngomkhuba wonina wokubhema ugwayi. Ngaphandle kwezinkinga ezingokomzimba, uDkt. Cahan uthi, abantwana bangase babe “nezinkinga zokuziphatha, amakhono okufunda akhubazekile, ukukhefuzela nokufadabala kwengqondo.” Akumangalisi, ukuthi uyabuza: “Yimuphi owesifazane onengqondo ongaphikelela nomkhuba oyisongela kanjalo ingane yakhe?”
Ngaphezu kwalokho, abazali ababhemayo bawusongo futhi ezinganeni ezikhulayo. Ngani? Incwajana ethi Facts and Figures on Smoking eyakhishwa iNhlangano Yomdlavuza YaseMelika, iyaphendula: “Abantwana babantu ababhemayo banezifo eziningi zokuphefumula kunabalabo babangabhemi, kuhlanganise nokwanda okwenyukayo kwesishiso semithanjana yomoya nesifo sokushisa kwamaphaphu lapho besebancane.”
Ngakho-ke uDkt. Cahan uphetha ngokuthi “loluhlobo lokuphathwa kabi kwabantwana lungase lube oluphendukezelwe kunazo zonke izinhlobo.” Umbuzo uwukuthi, ingabe wena uyakugwema?