Monday, July 14, 2008 ‘Buntis congress’ teaches healthcare to women
PREGNANT mothers gathered at a mall yesterday to listen to lectures on nutrition and healthcare at the Buntis Congress.
The National Nutritional Commission (NNC) earlier reported that malnutrition is rampant among pregnant women.
“There is an implication that with the low nutritional levels of pregnant women, their mortality rate during live birth is high,” said Regional Nutrition coordinator Dr. Parolita Mission.
The NNC also reported that 28 percent of pregnant women are nutritionally at risk.
In the NNC report, pregnant women mostly lacked iron, which usually leads to anemia.
The adequacy level of iron among pregnant women was at only 28.8 percent, followed by riboflavin at 48.1 percent, calcium at 52.3 percent, vitamin C or ascorbic acid at 73.6 percent, energy at 78.4 percent and protein at 84.7 percent.
Micronutrients
Pregnant women lacked most micronutrients and macronutrients required during pregnancy, reported the NNC.
In order to address the nutritional problem among pregnant women, the Buntis Congress was organized.
The Buntis Congress, now on its sixth year, is held to educate pregnant women about nutrition and healthcare.
Expecting mothers, with their husbands and children in tow, listened to lectures on various health topics, including breastfeeding.
Mothers, babies
“There really is a need to raise awareness of the importance of proper nutrition for mothers and their babies,” said Mission.
Mission added that aside from the alarming low nutritional level among pregnant women, the nutritional level among newborn babies lowers after six months.
“Statistically, malnutrition increases among babies after six months,” said Mission.
After six months, lactating mothers stop breastfeeding their babies regularly and shift to powdered milk and other baby food.
Mission said that although it is allowed to start feeding the infant with powdered milk and other alternative food, breast milk is still the best for babies. (EPB)
