Acquire healthy diet practices, expecting mothers told

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, April 11

A lecture on “Maternal Nutrition” was delivered at Dewan Hospital to observe the National Safe Motherhood Day here today.

Expert Neeta Dewan talked about proper diet and increased nutrient requirements for the challenging period of pregnancy and lactation.

“Today’s women want to shed pregnancy fat fast and in turn compromise on proper diet and nutrition during the time they need special diet and care. There is need to acquire healthy dietary practices tailored to the individual needs of each woman. Even during adolescence women need to be aware of it as this is the time when reproductive and other lifestyle behaviours set the stage for later life. Inadequate diet during the adolescent years leads to anaemia or stunting, which in turn contributes to complications in childbirth and underweight babies,” she said.

Dewan said nutrient needs always increase during pregnancy and lactation. Proper increase in nutrition protects the maternal health and results in better birth outcome and health of the newborn.

“When energy and other nutrient intake does not increase, the body’s own reserves are used, leaving a pregnant woman weak. Energy needs increase in the second and particularly the third trimester of pregnancy. Inadequate weight gain during pregnancy often results in low birth weight, which increases an infant’s risk of dying. Pregnant women also require more protein, iron, iodine, vitamin A, folate, and other nutrients. Deficiencies of certain nutrients are associated with maternal complications and death, foetal and newborn death, birth defects, and decreased physical and mental potentials of the child,” she said.

Gynaecologist Dr Nakul Avasthy said marriage should not take place before 18years, one should not become pregnant before 20years and there should be a gap of minimum 3 years between two pregnancies. He said all deliveries must be conducted at hospitals and not at homes as this will give the advantage of specialised care and modern technology to the mother and the newborn.