Chioma Umeha
A Nutritionist, Miss Patience Chima, on Wednesday
said lack of adequate nutrients during pregnancy was responsible for most
foetal malformation and deformation in babies.
Chima of the Dietetics Department, Lagos
University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Lagos, advised pregnant women
to ensure that they have enough nutrients in store to aid the formation of
their foetus.
She gave the advice at the 6th Annual General
Meeting and Scientific Conference organised by the Nigerian Society of
Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NISPGHAN) in Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that
theme of the conference is entitled: “The Role of Specialised Paediatric
Gastroenterological Care in Improving Child Health.’’
NAN reports that the conference, which started on
Wednesday, will end on Friday.
Chima said: “Preconception status is the
nutritional status of the mother before conception and in our society, lots of
mothers do not plan for pregnancy.
“Before a woman realises, she is pregnant and one
month gone.
“A mother must have enough nutrients to help in
the formation of her unborn baby.
“If certain nutrients are lacking while the baby
is forming, the foetus will be at risk to birth defects and learning
disabilities.
“So, it is what the mother has in stock that her
baby takes for the first time,’’ Chima said.
She said if the nutrients that would aid the
organs to properly form were missing, the foetus would be malformed and the
organs deformed.
Chima expressed grief over the attitude of some
pregnant women when it comes to taking micronutrient supplements before, during
and after pregnancy.
She said a common one like folic acid, which helps
prevent birth defects in the baby’s brain and spinal cord, were being ignored
by some pregnant women.
Chima said: ““Sometimes when you see children with
cleft palate and neural tube, it is basically caused by lack of folic acid, and
then, low iron causes brain deformation.’’
She said that some of these conditions could be
reversible, urging mothers to always assess the risks and benefits of a
medicine in pregnancy.
Chima, therefore, advised mothers to exclusively
breastfeed their babies, saying “ breast milk is non-negotiable’’.
