my friend is having serious issues with his wife and mother in law and is even contemplating throwing them out of the house. both my friend and his wife are igbos but my friend is a township brought-up with no knowledge of igbo traditions. he works offshore and visits home once in two weeks. recently he returned home to discover some strange looking thing rubbed on his baby daughter's head and when he asked he was told his mother-in-law discovered the child had "nnta" and took her to a traditional medicine woman who rubbed '"nzu" on the childs head as well as gave them some concussion to use to bath the child and also give the child to drink. on closer examination of the two month's old babý's mouth my friend discovered that the child's tongue was now black from whatever she was been given to drink. The most annoying thing to my friend is that his wife and mother in law has not been able to explain what this nnta is and why according to them it cannot be cured in the conventional hospital. i have asked around a few igbo folks and was shocked to hear there is such a sickness and other sicknesses which they claim have no english name and cannot be cured in conventional hospitals. meanwhile, not one of them could actually explain exactly what this sickness is. please igbo peeps in the house, what is nnta?

I cant tell exactly what nnta is but could remember my mother showiog me a baby that was suffering of it. D baby will not put weight rather loosing weight daily and looking malnurished despite being fed well. Its a rare condition.

I can't categorically tell you the English/medical name of this rare condition but I can assure of it's existence. From your description of the traditional medical care provided, I'm certain the baby will be alright in no distant time. There's certainly no need for your friend to go the extremes in his panic. He should know that not every word or condition in Igbo language has an english meaning or interpretation. Traditional medicine still provides potent cure and treatment to certain illnesses and conditions.

Everything can be diagnosed from blood draw, urine test and xray.
Ask your friend to take his baby to see a doc/pediatrics, he should emphasize on further test (blood/urine test) to find out whatsup with your baby.

I thought Nnta is pet name for little babies, at least that's what I heard my mom calling her little baby.

Is this not dat open skull sickness?
A situation whereby d skull don't completely suture(close)well b4 birth?
I assumed its that based on what d second poster wrote.
If its that, drs will tell u to allow it to close up naturally. But mothers knew how they go about it and it closes fast.
Makes a child cry so much,eats so much and yet looking malnourished.
Yorubas hv a name for it.
Heard about it not long ago.

imagreat: what is nnta?

. Igbo language is in dialects, and differ in what they call things. But the treatment u described looks very much like a popular treatment for 'convulsion' in most Igbo communities. They claim the baby sees scary images that make her convulse violently, cry persistently usually closing her eyes and locking her mouth. The baby is rubbed with 'Nzu' (white chalk) and given concoctions presumably to scare away the scary monster when it comes back again . Some educated people even claim it works better than western medicine, just as it's proven that traditional healers heal bone fracture faster than western orthopedics . No panics, ur friend should disregard the traditional treatment and still take the baby to a hospital for proper diagnosis. Just a help sha bc I don't know what 'nnta' is in my dialect.

Pleaseeee, take the child to a doctor ASAP!!!! Get proper diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Don't mess around with children's health.

Woged2005: . Igbo language is in dialects, and differ in what they call things. But the treatment u described looks very much like a popular treatment for 'convulsion' in most Igbo communities. They claim the baby sees scary images that make her convulse violently, cry persistently usually closing her eyes and locking her mouth. The baby is rubbed with 'Nzu' (white chalk) and given concoctions presumably to scare away the scary monster when it comes back again . Some educated people even claim it works better than western medicine, just as it's proven that traditional healers heal bone fracture faster than western orthopedics . No panics, ur friend should disregard the traditional treatment and still take the baby to a hospital for proper diagnosis. Just a help sha bc I don't know what 'nnta' is in my dialect.

Sorry dear, but it is not convulsion (aka 'ose' in Igbo language). 'Nnta' is more like an open skull condition. The 'nzu serves as a plaster/cement which holds the skull together while also preventing inflow of air.

@op have the wife and mother exhibited any signs that shows they don't want the well beign of the child? Inasmuchas I share your concerns about her black tongue and the use of traditional medicine, the fact remains that this kinds of conditions are best treated traditionally. After the initial inconvienences, everything will turn for good.

yellowpawpaw: Is this not dat open skull sickness?
A situation whereby d skull don't completely suture(close)well b4 birth?
I assumed its that based on what d second poster wrote.
If its that, drs will tell u to allow it to close up naturally. But mothers knew how they go about it and it closes fast.
Makes a child cry so much,eats so much and yet looking malnourished.
Yorubas hv a name for it.
Heard about it not long ago.

Couldn't have said it better

Nnta is killer disease and I don't think that it has an english name. Even if he takes the baby to the hospital she will only be diagnosed with infection.
I refused to believe that my little angel was suffering from nnta and I was taking her from one paediatrician to another nut until my SIL came and we took her to a traditionalist and she became well again
These are the symptoms of Nnta
1 The baby doesn't develop like her mates.
2 the baby looks malnourished and has sunken eyes no matter how well she feeds.
3 they usually have ntiwa isi(open skull) and umeafo(spleen)
4 when Nnta medicine is rubbed on them a whitish hairlike thread comes out of their body, that's the virus that sucks their blood
5 they are always restless and refuses sleep mostly at night no matter how well you feed them
6 in some cases they usually suffer from constant headache and fever.
7 in severe cases it leads to a little bit of mental disorder or death.
I wrote all this from what I experienced when my daughter was suffering from Nnta except no 7. @ op hope this answers your question.

I think what the mother in law said was 'Nla' and not 'nnta'....
When township brought up will not go home at leadt once in a while, how will he know that nzu is what will be used in making the nla to disappear faster....
Abeg MIL should come back before they label her a winch.
@YPP,
when my sisters daughter had it, we went to a market around Ikotun to by the nzu and some other things. The Yorubas also have local medicines that cure it.

eagle,eye:
I think what the mother in law said was 'Nla' and not 'nnta'....
When township brought up will not go home at leadt once in a while, how will he know that nzu is what will be used in making the nla to disappear faster....
Abeg MIL should come back before they label her a winch.
@YPP,
when my sisters daughter had it, we went to a market around Ikotun to by the nzu and some other things. The Yorubas also have local medicines that cure it.

If its nla, it will go.
Up up d immune system and the things I've seen given to them r excellent immune booster and they can fight disease very well.
Poster have no fear, they know better.

I'm a strong advocate of othordox medicine but there r things that can't be solved tru that way.
My dear as per that skull thing, I never knew it existed until I had a baby. My friend called her mum to come and examine my baby sharp sharp. I was looking at them suspiciously. When d mum said no, she heaved a big sigh and told me her story. Her first child almost died in national hospital abuja while on admission there with no improvement bc of that. When somebody visited and checked d baby's head, she told her to take the baby home and contacted one gwari woman and according to her, only one week, her baby was ok. They had almost giving up hope. How much did she pay sef? Meanwhile she has spent thousands at d national hospital. Till today, d husband is yet to recover.

I later researched extensively on it and found out that there is no cure but thank God for native roots and herbs. How I wish we will improve cos we r abundantly blessed in every angle.

Sometimes or most times dehydration is the major cause. Adequate fluid intake is highly advised and increase the feed quality.
Giving oral herbal medicine to infants is frowned on by medical professionals. Therapeutic nature of nzu is still in question cos it contains some certain amount of lead.
Take baby to hospital to rule out any other underlying condition.
Op, at sending your wife and MIL away that is bush mentality an opposite of the uptown worries you're exhibiting.

donigspain: Sorry dear, but it is not convulsion (aka 'ose' in Igbo language). 'Nnta' is more like an open skull condition. The 'nzu serves as a plaster/cement which holds the skull together while also preventing inflow of air.

Thanks for the correction. I really advocate that experienced African ladies should develop a lucrative hobby of writing pamphlets documenting some of these traditional practices, preparing local dishes (like herbs used for preparing meal for a woman that just gave birth), family birth ceremonies (especially the harmless ones). It will make more sense than thousands of unreadable, poorly-researched religious tracts in Nigeria often contradicting one another with personal opinions.

olymurphy: Nnta is killer disease and I don't think that it has an english name. Even if he takes the baby to the hospital she will only be diagnosed with infection.
I refused to believe that my little angel was suffering from nnta and I was taking her from one paediatrician to another nut until my SIL came and we took her to a traditionalist and she became well again
These are the symptoms of Nnta
1 The baby doesn't develop like her mates.
2 the baby looks malnourished and has sunken eyes no matter how well she feeds.
3 they usually have ntiwa isi(open skull) and umeafo(spleen)
4 when Nnta medicine is rubbed on them a whitish hairlike thread comes out of their body, that's the virus that sucks their blood
5 they are always restless and refuses sleep mostly at night no matter how well you feed them
6 in some cases they usually suffer from constant headache and fever.
7 in severe cases it leads to a little bit of mental disorder or death.
I wrote all this from what I experienced when my daughter was suffering from Nnta except no 7. @ op hope this answers your question.

U just said it all. I called my mum for more explanation & she said exactly d same thing expecially the whitish stuff coming out from the body of the baby when the medicine is being rubbed downward. She said there are people that speciallised in the medicine/treatment in Igbo land but said it can also be gotten 4rm Yoruba herb sellers (Agbo)

All d best!

It is called Isi nkuwa or Nke wa isi. In Yoruba it is called Ila. The ailment could be very fatal if not treated well. It makes the child to loose weight drastically and can make him convulse.It is mostly treated by traditional medicine. Another way of treating it is by using an oitment called "SILVERBIRD". Mixing the ointment will petroleum jelly and rubbing it on the child's head with gradually close the opening of the skull.

Any child with such an ailment should avoid being given antibiotics because it can make the child's head to grow bigger than normal.

berem: It is called Isi nkuwa or Nke wa isi. In Yoruba it is called Ila. The ailment could be very fatal if not treated well. It makes the child to loose weight drastically and can make him convulse.It is mostly treated by traditional medicine. Another way of treating it is by using an oitment called "SILVERBIRD". Mixing the ointment will petroleum jelly and rubbing it on the child's head with gradually close the opening of the skull.

Any child with such an ailment should avoid being given antibiotics because it can make the child's head to grow bigger than normal.

Ila na okro....... It's called ela

Isnt Eela a skin condition like ringworm?

I think its called oka in yoruba, the elewe omo (herb sellers)
In the market sells the herbs that cures it. your friend should
Just take a chill pill, using herbs does not mean his wife is
Diabolical

Op, tell your friend he has to find his roots. He needs to go back 'home' and learn a thing or two about his people. His mother in law and wife mean no harm to the baby. Since he works offshore, he can afford good health care. He should take his baby along with wife and mother in law to a very good hospital for proper diagnosis and treatment. Don't forget my first advice though. Ka o di Ka anyi afuro.

imagreat:
my friend is having serious issues with his wife and mother in law and is even contemplating throwing them out of the house. both my friend and his wife are igbos but my friend is a township brought-up with no knowledge of igbo traditions. he works offshore and visits home once in two weeks. recently he returned home to discover some strange looking thing rubbed on his baby daughter's head and when he asked he was told his mother-in-law discovered the child had "nnta" and took her to a traditional medicine woman who rubbed '"nzu" on the childs head as well as gave them some concussion to use to bath the child and also give the child to drink. on closer examination of the two month's old babý's mouth my friend discovered that the child's tongue was now black from whatever she was been given to drink. The most annoying thing to my friend is that his wife and mother in law has not been able to explain what this nnta is and why according to them it cannot be cured in the conventional hospital. i have asked around a few igbo folks and was shocked to hear there is such a sickness and other sicknesses which they claim have no english name and cannot be cured in conventional hospitals. meanwhile, not one of them could actually explain exactly what this sickness is. please igbo peeps in the house, what is nnta?

tell your frnd not to be scared, NNTA is a sickness that make babies look malnourished, if not taken care of, the babies head will be bigger than her body. My nephew had this illness when he was 2wiks, my mum had to rush him back to d village to treat it, it can only be treated traditionally, tell ur frnd to allow them treat it now else he will hate his baby later in life, or even loose d baby, because that illness is always dealing with children.

donigspain:
Sorry dear, but it is not convulsion (aka 'ose' in Igbo language). 'Nnta' is more like an open skull condition. The 'nzu serves as a plaster/cement which holds the skull together while also preventing inflow of air.

Please do you know about 'ama' disease? CC, Olymurphy

my people call it ngbawa ishi. the baby's skull hasn't developed fully well before delivery. what they applied on the baby's head is "ude aki= meaning palm Carnel oil, mixed with onions and cent leaf. then the nzu which is white chalk is to prevent cold and convulsions because her skull is not yet strong, you will find out that the uppermost part of her skull goes in and out just like her breathing. And what she drank that changed her tongue colour which of course will clear just like blood tonic is bitter leaf water and cent leaf water. I have seen my nieces and nephews get healed same way over a little period of time. But your friend can still go to the hospital, but he should also understand that his mother-in-law knows better because she has repeatedly done it over time.

God people are so gullible. Someone can be educated and still be illiterate. Nta has an English name and it's failure to thrive. But that is not a diagnosis you have to find out what caused the failure to thrive in the ist place. It could be malnutrition or congenital heart disease, hiv, pylori stenosis etc. Most of the cases I see in the hospital I work are from malnutrition and substituting breast milk and appropriate feeds for pap and other local feeds when baby is still not up to 5 months. Other causes I have seen are congenital heart disease where the child has a hole in the heart. The ntuwa isi is present in all babies born and its called anterior frontanelle and is caused by non fusion of the skull bone. It is more depressed in some babies than other and further depressed in babies dehydrated from vomiting and diarrhoea hence why it is used in staging diarrhoea. This non fusion is so to enable the head fold slight when the baby passes through birth canal during delivery because if the skull was fused (fusion happens around 13 to 18 months) delivery of a fused skull will result in fracture. That is why babies with hydrocephalus ailment tend to have very large skull filled with fluid because the fluid accumulated in the condition expands the non fused skull. If the skull were fused the head won't expand rather the person will have severe seizures etc. UMAFO is called hypersplenomegaly a condition seen when the Spleen increases in size from working excessively just like your muscles increase when worked on. The primary function of the spleen is to remove blood that is deemed abnormal hence red blood cell which has a life span of about 120 days die and are removed by the spleen also the spleen removes blood infected with malaria etc hence in severe malaria cases the spleen now works extra by removing dead old blood and blood infected with malaria parasite. If this continues the spleen start to enlarge. You hardly see such cases in malaria because of early treatment and effective meds available but it's still possible to seen them. UMAFO is seen also in sickle cell patients because their Spleen will be seeing the sickled red blood cells as abnormal and will then be breaking it down and removing it that's why sickle cell patients often have blood loss and yellow eyes from products of red blood cell breakdown. Please traditional meds has never worked. All cases you see or hear about are truly miracle cases where the body was able to overcome the infection hence that single miracle will be used as an example by the community but thousands damage their kidney and liver with traditional meds and those you don't hear about unless you work in a hospital. I have had many patients who have been on traditional meds and later end up in the hospital. Believe me the number is in thousands. You don't hear this but hear about one or 2 cases that 'survived the onslaught on trad meds. Anybody that can't explain what their drugs contain or side effects of the drugs and tell you to believe them because our ancestors were taking such please run. Save yourself . Sorry for some typos didn't proof read. Come to any tertiary hospital and see people with kidneys failure from years of taking traditional medicine. My only regret is that such patients keep quiet while the idiot or traditional person continues his destruction on another person. It's a pity this traditional meds kill you slowly in years. I wish the killing will be quicker so people can finally understand the black substance without name or dosage or side effects is very dangerous. How can one drug cure everything? How can we be so gullible? In the old days many kids died. Infant mortality was very very high. Don't believe me, ask your grand mother or great grand mothers if they are still alive how many kids they lost. Pity. Yet with modern medicine people are still relying on old ways and when their kids die instead of taking the traditional person to court or bad mouthing the person they do otherwise and find something else to blame. Yet will do otherwise when a medical person is involved

Namzy:
God people are so gullible. Someone can be educated and still be illiterate. Nta has an English name and it's failure to thrive. But that is not a diagnosis you have to find out what caused the failure to thrive in the ist place. It could be malnutrition or congenital heart disease, hiv, pylori stenosis etc. Most of the cases I see in the hospital I work are from malnutrition and substituting breast milk and appropriate feeds for pap and other local feeds when baby is still not up to 5 months. Other causes I have seen are congenital heart disease where the child has a hole in the heart. The ntuwa isi is present in all babies born and its called anterior frontanelle and is caused by non fusion of the skull bone. It is more depressed in some babies than other and further depressed in babies dehydrated from vomiting and diarrhoea hence why it is used in staging diarrhoea. This non fusion is so to enable the head fold slight when the baby passes through birth canal during delivery because if the skull was fused (fusion happens around 13 to 18 months) delivery of a fused skull will result in fracture. That is why babies with hydrocephalus ailment tend to have very large skull filled with fluid because the fluid accumulated in the condition expands the non fused skull. If the skull were fused the head won't expand rather the person will have severe seizures etc. UMAFO is called hypersplenomegaly a condition seen when the Spleen increases in size from working excessively just like your muscles increase when worked on. The primary function of the spleen is to remove blood that is deemed abnormal hence red blood cell which has a life span of about 120 days die and are removed by the spleen also the spleen removes blood infected with malaria etc hence in severe malaria cases the spleen now works extra by removing dead old blood and blood infected with malaria parasite. If this continues the spleen start to enlarge. You hardly see such cases in malaria because of early treatment and effective meds available but it's still possible to seen them. UMAFO is seen also in sickle cell patients because their Spleen will be seeing the sickled red blood cells as abnormal and will then be breaking it down and removing it that's why sickle cell patients often have blood loss and yellow eyes from products of red blood cell breakdown. Please traditional meds has never worked. All cases you see or hear about are truly miracle cases where the body was able to overcome the infection hence that single miracle will be used as an example by the community but thousands damage their kidney and liver with traditional meds and those you don't hear about unless you work in a hospital. I have had many patients who have been on traditional meds and later end up in the hospital. Believe me the number is in thousands. You don't hear this but hear about one or 2 cases that 'survived the onslaught on trad meds. Anybody that can't explain what their drugs contain or side effects of the drugs and tell you to believe them because our ancestors were taking such please run. Save yourself . Sorry for some typos didn't proof read. Come to any tertiary hospital and see people with kidneys failure from years of taking traditional medicine. My only regret is that such patients keep quiet while the idiot or traditional person continues his destruction on another person. It's a pity this traditional meds kill you slowly in years. I wish the killing will be quicker so people can finally understand the black substance without name or dosage or side effects is very dangerous. How can one drug cure everything? How can we be so gullible? In the old days many kids died. Infant mortality was very very high. Don't believe me, ask your grand mother or great grand mothers if they are still alive how many kids they lost. Pity. Yet with modern medicine people are still relying on old ways and when their kids die instead of taking the traditional person to court or bad mouthing the person they do otherwise and find something else to blame. Yet will do otherwise when a medical person is involved

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

I know this thread is old but I had to dig out my password from God knows where to reply you - my first ever input here.

I damn near dislocated my jaw the way it hung down as I read the comments with utter disbelief. Education is really wasted on most of us Nigerians sadly.

Thank you again for that reply. Never hesitate to squash misinformation like you did there. Kudos nna.

Please how can one treat this nta or better still what are the things used for the treatment

Fortunelady1:
Please how can one treat this nta or better still what are the things used for the treatment

Get the child diagnosed by a specialist (pediatrician)

This is front page worthy I swear. Lalasticlacla

This is front page worthy I swear. Lalasticlacla royalroi

This is front page worthy I swear. Lalasticlacla royalroy

According to the first few comments, the baby is malnourished, has an open skull and schizophrenia.

Namzy:
God people are so gullible. Someone can be educated and still be illiterate. Nta has an English name and it's failure to thrive. But that is not a diagnosis you have to find out what caused the failure to thrive in the ist place. It could be malnutrition or congenital heart disease, hiv, pylori stenosis etc. Most of the cases I see in the hospital I work are from malnutrition and substituting breast milk and appropriate feeds for pap and other local feeds when baby is still not up to 5 months. Other causes I have seen are congenital heart disease where the child has a hole in the heart. The ntuwa isi is present in all babies born and its called anterior frontanelle and is caused by non fusion of the skull bone. It is more depressed in some babies than other and further depressed in babies dehydrated from vomiting and diarrhoea hence why it is used in staging diarrhoea. This non fusion is so to enable the head fold slight when the baby passes through birth canal during delivery because if the skull was fused (fusion happens around 13 to 18 months) delivery of a fused skull will result in fracture. That is why babies with hydrocephalus ailment tend to have very large skull filled with fluid because the fluid accumulated in the condition expands the non fused skull. If the skull were fused the head won't expand rather the person will have severe seizures etc. UMAFO is called hypersplenomegaly a condition seen when the Spleen increases in size from working excessively just like your muscles increase when worked on. The primary function of the spleen is to remove blood that is deemed abnormal hence red blood cell which has a life span of about 120 days die and are removed by the spleen also the spleen removes blood infected with malaria etc hence in severe malaria cases the spleen now works extra by removing dead old blood and blood infected with malaria parasite. If this continues the spleen start to enlarge. You hardly see such cases in malaria because of early treatment and effective meds available but it's still possible to seen them. UMAFO is seen also in sickle cell patients because their Spleen will be seeing the sickled red blood cells as abnormal and will then be breaking it down and removing it that's why sickle cell patients often have blood loss and yellow eyes from products of red blood cell breakdown. Please traditional meds has never worked. All cases you see or hear about are truly miracle cases where the body was able to overcome the infection hence that single miracle will be used as an example by the community but thousands damage their kidney and liver with traditional meds and those you don't hear about unless you work in a hospital. I have had many patients who have been on traditional meds and later end up in the hospital. Believe me the number is in thousands. You don't hear this but hear about one or 2 cases that 'survived the onslaught on trad meds. Anybody that can't explain what their drugs contain or side effects of the drugs and tell you to believe them because our ancestors were taking such please run. Save yourself . Sorry for some typos didn't proof read. Come to any tertiary hospital and see people with kidneys failure from years of taking traditional medicine. My only regret is that such patients keep quiet while the idiot or traditional person continues his destruction on another person. It's a pity this traditional meds kill you slowly in years. I wish the killing will be quicker so people can finally understand the black substance without name or dosage or side effects is very dangerous. How can one drug cure everything? How can we be so gullible? In the old days many kids died. Infant mortality was very very high. Don't believe me, ask your grand mother or great grand mothers if they are still alive how many kids they lost. Pity. Yet with modern medicine people are still relying on old ways and when their kids die instead of taking the traditional person to court or bad mouthing the person they do otherwise and find something else to blame. Yet will do otherwise when a medical person is involved

This your post is centered on how traditional medicine is bad and modern medicine is good but you've still not told us the cure for such ailment using modern medicine.