By Dr John Kayongo-Mutumba & Barnardate Apio
The day a child is conceived through pregnancy to its second birthday are the ‘first 1,000 days of life’.
The right nutrition and care in these days of the child have great impact on its life beyond childhood.
Your child’s survival, ability to grow and develop depend on your efforts towards proper feeding and care practices in the first 1,000 days.
When a woman is pregnant, she is expected to visit a preconception clinic to receive nutrition advice as she plans for her pregnancy. She also needs to attend an antenatal care clinic at least four times upon getting pregnant.
“In our country, not much attention is given to preconception care. A mother is expected to plan before pregnancy. Proper feeding, taking iron supplements and preparing her psychologically are essential to a baby’s health way before conceiving,” says Immaculate Aanyu, a midwife at Arua Hospital.
Through this entire journey, the right feeding practices to adopt as advised by nutritionists are:
Before pregnancy:
Eat foods rich in iron, zinc, calcium and folic acid to prepare yourself for a safe conception.
Vegetable dishes improved with a mix of eggs can provide a diet rich in these minerals and vitamins. For example a dish of improved Sukuma wiki and pumpkin.
A diet with low intake of folic acid can increase the risk of birth defects such as Spina bifida (split spine).
Foods eaten when rich in calcium ensure healthy bones for the mother and her unborn baby.
During pregnancy:
Eat daily a variety of foods from at least five food groups:
- Foods that build the body include two main groups: plant sources that are legumes or nuts such as beans, groundnuts, and soya. Animal sources such as mukene, eggs, milk, fish and other meats.
- Foods that give the body energy include three main groups: staples/starchy foods such as posho, matooke and cassava. Fats and oils such as ghee, butter. Sugars such as honey.
- Foods that protect the body from diseases include two main groups: vegetables such as kale (sukuma wiki), amaranthus (dodo), and cabbage. Fruits such as avocado, passion fruits, mangoes, oranges and bananas.
Eat an extra meal a day with fruits and vegetables during pregnancy to help you remain healthy. This allows for proper growth and development of your unborn baby.
Take your iron folic supplements, deworming and anti-malarial tablets to prevent lack of blood and malaria.
Drink plenty of boiled water to help your body to function well and void alcohol or smoking.
Importance
Good nutrition during pregnancy ensures optimum foetal growth and development. It prevents poor birth outcomes such as low birth weight and small for gestational age.
Obesity in mothers may result into delivery of babies with macrosomia, which is the abnormal smallness of body structures.
Children born with poor outcomes do not eat or gain weight easily and fall sick often. They have increased risk of developing complications such as diabetes and high blood pressure in later life.
There is evidence to show that children born small for gestational age may have low cognitive potential and poor academic performance later in school.
They may also have behavioural challenges including inability to socially engage.
In such a time when the world is hit by the Covid-19 disease, proper feeding practices during pregnancy will give your baby the best start in life.
Continue to have a diet rich in fruits and vegetables so that you may recover in case infected by this disease.
Plan for your pregnancy, attend a pre-conception clinic, and be healthy and ready for your pregnancy.
The right nutrition and care before and during your pregnancy will give your baby a great start at life to reach their life’s full potential.
The writers are nutritionists.
