Nutrition for women

Nutrition for women

By SNEHA MAVIS

In India, women's diets are frequently insufficient to satisfy their nutritional demands. A quarter of Indian women of reproductive age are malnourished, with a BMI of less than 18.5 kg/m. It is well knowledge that an undernourished mother will always give birth to an undernourished child, perpetuating a cycle of undernutrition across generations. 

The mother's poor nutrition before conception and during the first trimester is a major contributor to foetal stunting.       

The main cause of the undernutrition rates among Indian children being constant is the inability to fully prevent undernutrition when it occurs most frequently, in the womb, which is brought on by poor nutrition of mothers before and during pregnancy. 

The following are the top 5 nutrition interventions for mothers:

Increasing the amount and quality of nutrients consumed in the home

This entails, in particular, boosting access to generalised household food rations through the public distribution system. Access to supplemental nutrients is also provided as part of the integrated child development services programme. Through nutrition and health education, knowledge is imparted to improve the local diet, production, and household behaviours.

Preventing anaemia 

This is accomplished by administering Iron Folic Acid Supplementation, deworming, and intake of iodized salt. Most women who acquire anaemia in developing nations do not consume enough iron-rich diets or eat foods that hinder iron absorption. Fatigue, a reduction in work ability, and increased susceptibility to infection are all symptoms of iron deficiency and anaemia. Severe anaemia puts women at an increased risk of death during labour and the postpartum period.

Low Iodine Levels

Failure to meet the body's iodine requirements impairs mental performance and can lead to goitre (thyroid gland enlargement) and hypothyroidism, a condition characterised by weariness and weakness. Iodine shortage in adolescent girls may result in mental problems, hinder physical growth, and decrease academic performance. The prevalence of iodine deficiency illnesses has decreased significantly over the past ten years because to programmes to iodize salt, yet availability to iodized salt in households still varies greatly.

Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD) 

VAD, which can result in growth retardation and vision impairment, continues to be a serious public health concern for communities that do not consume enough vitamin A, which is present in animal products and some fruits. Severe VAD causes blindness; less severe VAD weakens the immune system, rendering people more susceptible to infection and increasing their chance of mortality. Women who are pregnant are especially vulnerable to VAD.

Empowering women to avoid premature, frequent, and close-spaced pregnancies

By postponing the first pregnancy and subsequent pregnancies, maternal depletion can also be avoided through family planning, reproductive health education, incentives, and services. Additionally encouraging the development of women's skills and economic empowerment as part of their right to maternity leave.