The wonder new-born of Nyandarua

BY ERIC SINDABI

It is said that wonders never cease. This was the case at Ndunduri market centre in Nyandarua District recently when residents woke up on the morning of 14^th October this year to the shock of a new member of their society James Mwangi who was born bearing 28 natal tooth on both his upper and lower jaws,a fact that is very rare.

Stunned residents streamed in the homestead of Martha Wanjiru and Simon Wanderi to witness the rare happening that they confessed was a wonder that had never occurred before in the area. Never the less doctors at the local Ndundori Community Dispensary confirmed that both the mother and the child were health and referred them to the Rift valley General Hospital for advice from dental specialists.

When we arrived at the scene the area Chief Jane Wanjiru helped by the local police were busy trying to contain the curious residents wanting to get a glimpse of the rare James Mwangi with little success, save for the many gifts they brought along with them for him. We found her in her shanty rental house at the market centre in company of her two sisters, Joyce Muthoni and Jane Njeri preparing mbosho (beans) for a meal together with a group of local Christian women who had come to pray for the family, before we requested for a permission to interview her.

She certainly agreed to be interviewed in presence of her company though looking nervous and suspicious. She said that since the news of her new born baby had burst out, she had never had a piece of mind as tents of residents and news men kept on streaming at her house wanting to see her child and asking her endless questions. When we asked her where was Mwangi she said. “My husband has resolved that enough is enough, the kid needs to rest”. Nevertheless we went on with the interview.

According to the mother of four, she had an ordinary pregnancy with no complications being detected at all during the pre-natal clinics. When labor begun on the evening of 13^th October, she was helped out by her neigh ours to deliver her child successfully, with no signs that it would turn out to be an abnormal child. She confessed that she got a shock of her life when she made to breast feed the baby for the first time when she discovered that the infant bore teeth, a fact that is not normal to newly born babies.

When the family later consulted doctors at Ndundori Community Dispensary a stone throw away, from their home she said doctors ruled that both her and the child were healthy but should consult dental doctors at the Rift valley Provincial General Hospital for advice. To dispute assumptions that many abnormal new born babies in the country are as a result of complications caused by Family Planning methods used by women,Wanjiru revealed to us that she never applies the formal family planning methods, but she does it the natural way.

Wanjiru complained that she got difficulty during breast feeding as the teeth pinch as the child sucks. She said that she sometimes was forced to milk the milk and artificially feed the kid. She however bears no regrets or hatred for her baby as she believes that it was the will of the creator. “God works in so many ways and can test ones faith in different ways. I believe my child will grow up normally “She said.

Interestingly the mother confessed that a similar incident had some time back happened in the area, which though was never made public after a local self proclaimed prophetess commonly referred locally as Mnabii gave birth to baby boy who seemingly was circumcised at birth.

Her sister Joyce Muthoni a staunch Christian told journalists that she had advised her sister to treat the birth of James Mwangi as normal and give thanks to God as rare is always a blessing. A local Christian Ngwataniro(co-operation )group leader mama Veronica Njambi said that they had had the reports through the media and decided to come to pray for the family. “Every thing is as a result of the hands of God, we heard it on radio and so we came to give thanks to him as he is the creator” she said.

Born 27 years ago of Mzee James Mwangi whose new born son is named after, and Mama Ruth Wanja in Piavi village in Njoro on the west of Nakuru town, Wanjiru attended Ngano Primary School up to standard eight before she got married to Simon Wanderi 12 years ago who is a butherman based in Ndundori market centre. The couple so far has four children including the new born. Others are; Agness Mumbi aged 12, Joseph Chege, 7 and Ruth Wanja, 3.The mother practices small scale farming at her husband’s parent’s farm in Ndundori.

Medical reports on the internet however indicate that cases of children being born with teeth are normal though very rare. According to the reports, at least one child out of two thousand children being born is likely to have natal teeth. The reports say that a baby can develop buds also called milk teeth due to genetic and hormonal complications that are inherent. Certain genetic syndromes that make a baby likely to grow teeth prematurely is high and can be passed from generation to generation”. says the report.

It adds that on the treatment perspective not only is aspiration ,a condition of inhaling foreign substances into the lungs a major concern but also a complication known as Riga Fede disease develops. The natal tooth can cause an ulcer on the bottom of the toque interfering with feeding of the child. Hence, the report concludes that a child born with teeth or who gets teeth soon after birth should be examined by dental experts for possible removal of the natal tooth.