It is unthinkable that, in this day and age, some parents, particularly mothers, resort to administering drugs and skin-lightening substances to their children, even during pregnancy, in the misguided belief that they can influence their complexion and make them fair-skinned.
Have these parents considered the potentially devastating consequences of exposing innocent children to such substances?
Products containing glutathione, hydroquinone, mercury and potent corticosteroids, among others, can pose serious health risks, including kidney and liver damage, hormonal complications, skin disorders and other long-term health problems.
Some may also interfere with normal growth and development.
What makes this practice particularly disturbing is that it is reportedly widespread across the country, with even highly educated and supposedly enlightened people engaging in it.
How can parents sacrifice their children's health and future wellbeing on the altar of society's misplaced preference for fair skin?
Every child deserves to be loved and accepted for who they are, regardless of complexion.
Dark skin is neither a disadvantage nor a defect requiring correction.
The country must rise against this dangerous practice with every legitimate means available.
The Ministry of Health, the FDA, health professionals and child protection agencies must intensify public education, investigate the practice and enforce existing regulations.
No parent has the right to gamble with a child's health for the sake of complexion.
Emmanuel Yaw Owiredu
Ashalaja
