CAIRO: Every Ramadan Hana, 19, a college student, has to face an awkward situation: Although strong and healthy, she cannot fast like the rest of her family. That failure to observe the holy month has left her with a sense of guilt, so much so that she constantly helps her mother in the kitchen and serves the family at the iftar table. To everyone s surprise, Hana survives on as little as a glass of water and a small sandwich. But these are better than lasting on an empty stomach for an entire day. Every time the student fasted she either fainted or developed an acute headache. While her brother and sister started fasting at an early age, Hana began trying only two years ago. As a child, she had never been curious about fasting like her peers. But this indifference went unchecked by her parents and resulted in difficulties later on as she tried to take fasting seriously. Hana's case opens up the issue of how and when children should get into the habit of fasting. Some parents leave the children to acquire the habit on their own, while other religious families might be strict in pushing the children into it, even when they are still underage. Muslims are required to start fasting once they hit puberty thus practicing in the childhood years is highly recommended. Some children get into the habit of fasting earlier than others. "I don't really remember how I started fasting, recalled Ahmed Makhlouf, 33, "but because all my brothers and sisters were older than me, I didn't wait long before I started to observe Ramadan. His son Ali, 8, will start fasting next year. "I don't have any special program for him, says Makhlouf. "But I will manage to get him into it slowly. He doesn't have to complete the whole month. Let's start by two or three times a week. Attia Abdel Menem, who has two boys aged four and six, is keen to train his children early when they reach the age of seven. "We recommend that a child should start fasting at the age of eight provided he doesn't suffer from any chronic disease, said Dr Adel Ashour, paediatrician and hereditary diseases specialist at the National Research Centre. "Before that age, fasting could be dangerous for the child's general health. If the child is not fond of eating that won't necessarily mean that he or she should fast. The liquids and small meals do give them energy, he added. Ashour pointed out that training shouldn't necessarily start in Ramadan. "Weekends during winter when the day is shorter are an ideal time for that kind of training. Some parents fast every Monday and Thursday and they can encourage the children to share that experience during certain seasons. Experts reiterate that even after the age of nine when children start taking the habit seriously, they should still be carefully observed by their parents. Ula Mohamed, mother of 13-year-old Doaa, said, "Doaa was 10 when she began to practice fasting. However, I had to stop her because she was weak. We started with half days, then three days a month until she gradually managed to finish the whole month. "I used to make a point of waking her up for the sohour, Ula added, "But now I can no longer force her into that. Faiz Saad, father of Saad, 9, and Haniya, 8, said, "I leave it up to the children to decide. Once they find themselves surrounded by parents who fast, they will do the same. I wake them up for the sohour and it's up to them if they want to come and eat. Ashour has also stressed the importance of sohour. "While encouraging the children to fast, the mother has to stress [the importance] of the sohour meal, he said. "That will make a big difference, as some children won't last without the sohour meal and could faint. The type of food consumed during iftar and sohour is also important. "The meal should consist of proteins like cheese and eggs, fats like cream, and sugars like honey. The children's iftar should contain sweet juices and dates that must be eaten before the main meal. "Children should eat carefully and slowly so that they will make full use of the meal's nutritional components. In addition, the amount of exerted effort should be monitored. He advises the children not to engage in any kind of sport during the day or up to an hour before iftar.
