With all attention focused on nutrition during Poshan Maah, Dr Jaideep Malhotra, Past President – Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI) and MD, ART-Rainbow IVF & Global Rainbow Healthcare explains why good maternal nutrition is the best kick-start to life. She believes that the nine months of pregnancy is a good window of opportunity to optimise many parameters as no other period of her life a woman comes under constant medical supervision and this time should be utilised as a strategic time for proper knowledge dissemination for health promotion and disease prevention
“You are what your mother eats”
No other better time, than today, did we understand this, as extensive research defines molecular basis to explain to us the links between mother’s nutrition and food practices and a child’s growth and future health.
Foundation of health and many adult diseases are laid in utero and with India marching ahead to be the most populous country in the world, adding over 26 million births every year. These humongous numbers make us contribute largely towards most of diabetes, obesity, malnourished, anaemic mothers and preterm births of the world.
Our age old traditional practices of antenatal care are replaced by the modern know how and lifestyles. So much so that today, over 50 per cent pregnant mothers are anaemic, 25 per cent are malnourished, 10 per cent are obese, diabetic, and hypertensive. These not only affect the mother, but are influencing the outcomes of our future generations too. Read More…
