Pregnant women have been encouraged to eat well to stay healthy and strong, Madam Joana Pinamang Arthur, the Nutrition Officer for the Ashaiman Polyclinic, has said.
During a sensitisation programme for pregnant women at the Antenatal Care Unit of the Polyclinic, on the topic: “Prevention of anaemia in pregnancy,” Madam Arthur said the Unit considered it a mandate to equip the women with the basic information to help them remain healthy.
She encouraged them to eat fruits after each meal, which helped for easy digestion and reinvigoration of one’s appetite.
Fruits also boosted the immune system to fight against diseases and help the body to absorb the iron content in the food, she said, adding; “All pregnant women should have enough rest to restore energy lost.”
“Pregnant woman should eat iron-rich foods like groundnuts, eggs, liver, meat, fish, maize, red beans, ayoyo, gbooma, kontomere, and Turkey berry (abedru) to prevent anaemia in pregnancy”.
She said when the Haemoglobin (HB) was low during pregnancy the child was born with low birth weight and the mother and baby may require a blood transfusion.
“This process will be stressful for both the mother and the family as a whole,” she said, and encouraged the expectant mothers to take good care of themselves.
“Drink a lot of water to stay hydrated at all times and avoid the intake of Bentonite Clay because it reduces the HB level,” she added.
