My sad encounter with parents whose sick children had Dada (dreadlocks) – Doctor narrates

Medical doctor narrates her sad encounter with parents whose sick children had Dada (dreadlocks), advises the public about the causes of dreadlocks in children and pleads with the public to stop attaching spirituality, superstitions and supernatural powers to dada.

Please read her true story below 👇

DADA (DREADLOCKS)👨‍🦱💇‍♂️👨‍🦲

🔷️So there were 2 parents who brought their babies to the hospital with DADA HAIR. For the purpose of this write up, let’s call them child A and child B

🔶️These children unfortunately had conditions that demanded that we secure a vein quickly for treatment.

🔷️After several attempts on both hands and legs and we were unable to secure a vein, we needed to secure a vein on the scalp.

🔶️To secure the vein on the scalp, we needed to shave off the DADA hair.

🔷️Both parents refused this saying they have been told by a pastor and herbalist respectively that their children were DADA. They were told that the hair should not be touched till a time some prayers and rituals would be performed, so that it can be cut. They were also told that if the DADA was cut before that time, the baby will die!

🔶️After much counselling of both parents that DADA HAS NO RELATIONSHIP TO THE HEALTH OF A CHILD, the parents of child A gave in, though still very scared.

🔷️The parents of child B remained adamant. In fact the grandfather was involved who said it was over his dead body that child B’s hair would be shaved before the rituals. Their main reason was that they had lost 2 previous children who they shaved their hair, but they now believed were DADA. They felt that it was the shaving of hair that caused their death.

🔶️So, child A’s hair was shaved and on the first attempt, a vein was secured and he received his treatment, recovered quickly and was discharged few days later.

🔷️Child B’s parents who kept insisting that the hair should not be cut, well, stayed for about 3 weeks in the hospital as the baby developed complications due to inability to secure a vein quickly. They finally lost their 3rd child even with the so called DADA.

🔊WHO WAS WISE AND WHO WAS FOOLISH?

🔊THIS IS JUST ONE OF SO MANY CASES; SO MANY CHILDREN DIE THIS WAY!

🔊SO MANY PARENTS BELIEVE THIS MYTH AND MISCONCEPTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH DADA.

🔊SO MANY CHILDREN ARE LEFT UNKEMPT BECAUSE THEIR PARENTS BELIEVE THEY HAVE DADA.

📍TRUTH ABOUT DADA📍

➡️DADA is also known as DREADLOCKS.

➡️There are different hair textures in the world. Unlike the Caucasians, African hair texture is coarse and curvature, ranges from wavy to wooly or wiry.

➡️ What causes dreadlocks? Tangles, knots and matted locks will eventually form in ALL textures of hair if it is not styled or combed.

➡️However, Africans due to their tight, kinky hair tend to form dreadlocks (dada) more easily.

➡️There are basically two different two ways to develop deadlocks (dada), the chemical method and the neglect method.

➡️The chemical method is what many young ladies with natural/untreated her do on their hairs these days for fashion statement.

➡️Our children develop theirs due to the neglect method. Their hairs are not combed and then it knots with time.

➡️ Dada is not only peculiar to the blacks, there are white people too born with dreadlocks.

➡️ Dada is the yoruba name for dreadlocks.

➡️ The Igbo people call children with dada ‘ezenwa’, meaning ‘child king’.

PLEASE NOTE: DADA HAS NO RELATIONSHIP WITH A CHILD’S HEALTH, IF ANYTHING, IT COULD BE A MEDIUM OF INFECTIONS‼

LET NO ONE DECEIVE YOU INTO DELAYING YOUR CHILD’S TREATMENT DUE TO DADA‼

LET US STOP ATTACHING SPIRITUAL MEANING DADA

NOTABLE COMMENTS

Fadekemi Adeyemi Oni

Very true,I was told at one time in 2014 that I should not comb my son’s hair again cos he was destined to be a dada, I replied the woman that there is no Dada in my family and personally its against my belief and that settles it.I made sure I comb his hair severally in a day to avoid it locking up.but eventually I lost him in 2017 though nothing associated with the Dada stuff.

Jane Obaigbena Isaac-chinedum

Well…..i dont actually agree with the ‘not combing the hair makes it dreadlock’ statement. I had an uncle whose hair was constantly combed. It was also shaved several times. Each time it grows back, it grows as dreadlocks . They had to leave it that way. He was a full grown man with natural dreads. I also know others like that. But if hair is left unattended to, it will form dreads also.

This story was culled from Paediatricians Give Answers.