It was a gathering of specialists. Academics, gynaecologists, obstetricians and general practitioners were there. So also were national and international personalities, including the wife of the Lagos State Governor, Mrs Abimbola Fashola; a laboratory medicine scientist/researcher from the University Medical Centre Groningen, The Netherlands, Prof Frits Muskiet. Women from various backgrounds; dieticians, nutritionists, food technologists and other stakeholders were also present.
The colours: pink and blue, used for decoration, were thematic. Pink indicates the female gender; blue male. It was at the presentation of Frisomum Gold. The only milk for mothers with prebiotics and probiotics. It contains DHA and AA to support baby’s early brain development. It is high in folic acid, iron, and calcium and also contains Beta-carotene, Selenium and Nucleotides. All these are essential nutrients and trace elements vital to the development of a healthy baby, and prevention of neural defects, such as Spina Bifida, hole in the heart, Hydrocephalus and others.
According to Associate Professor/Consultant Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH)/Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM), Prof Adetokunbo Fabamwo, who addressed the gathering, the ultimate aim and expectation of an obstetrician is to have uneventful pregnancy, normal labour, safe delivery and healthy mother and baby.
“These do not always happen as there are unpredictable and unavoidable factors derailing these expectations. These may lead to complications during the course of the pregnancy, in labour, at delivery and even after delivery.
“Of all these factors, maternal nutrition remains within the control of the woman and her attending physician. In other words, this is one factor that can be modulated. The demands of pregnancy necessitates additional dietary requirements. Poor maternal nutritional status is related to adverse birth outcomes. Maternal nutrition plays a major role in maternal and child health. Maternal nutrition refers to the nutrient intake and dietary planning that is undertaken before, during and after pregnancy.”
He said a study by Ojofeitimi Ebenezer, Institute of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile Ife, Osun State, and others published in international Journal of Gynaecology and Obstetrics titled – “Diet restriction by pregnant women in Nigeria,” indicated that low income illiterate women in pregnancy gave four reasons for food aversions – health, tradition, economy and religion.
“Two thirds or more avoided milk and bournvita for fear of having big babies and difficult labour ending in operative delivery. Nutritional counselling served to correct these erroneous assumptions.
“The nutritional status of a woman before conception is related to the birth weight of her child. Deficiencies of energy, fatty acids and micronutrients in women either before conception or very early in pregnancy have all been implicated in causing low birth weight in infants, infertility, foetal structural defects and long-term diseases, intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), i.e the poor growth of a baby while in the mother’s womb during pregnancy. And consequences of fetal illhealth are increased risk of fetal, neonatal and infant death. Intrauterine growth retardation; low birth weight and prematurity; birth defects, cretinism; brain damage and increased risk of infection.
“Certain steps have to be taken before conception or in early pregnancy to maximise health outcomes. But it is not commonly practiced in our clime. Preconception care is a set of interventions that aim to identify and modify biomedical, behavioural and social risks to the woman’s health or pregnancy outcome through prevention and management by emphasising hose factors that must be acted on before conception or early in pregnancy to have maximal impact,” he stated.
Prof. Fabanwo said most studies relating to the effect of maternal nutrition on pregnancy outcomes had been largely observational and retrospective, “Nevertheless, the overall data indicate that micronutrients may affect fertility, embryogenesis and placentation. The prophylactic use of some micronutrients may be useful in preventing several adverse pregnancy outcomes.
“It is known that acquiring a desirable weight and diet during the weeks before and around conception is highly recommended. Energy (calorific) intake is required to support recommended weight gain. Energy requirement in pregnancy is increased by 17 per cent over the pre pregnancy state. A woman of normal weight should therefore consume an additional 300 Kcal/day of energy contained in a high nutrient density food.
He identified consequences of maternal malnutrition to include increased risk of maternal complications and death; increased risk of infection; lower productivity; anaemia; lethargy and weakness’ increased risk of fetal neonatal and infant death; intrauterine growth retardation; low birth weight and prematurity.
The don said there is increasing evidence that disturbances in bowel microbial composition play a role in the pathophysiology of immune mediated disorders such as allergic disease; “The microbial flora in the bowel are key players in the early development of both local immune maturation and systemic immune programming.”
Prof Muskiet said there were double burden of malnutrition as concurrent underweight and stunting among young children and overweight and obesity in older children, adolescents and adults within the same population are rife.
“The deadly quartet are too high body mass; disturbed glucose homeostasis; Dyslipdemia and Hypertension. A lot of factors deprive women of (natural) nutrients and micronutrients. Most of the foods in the Northern part of Nigeria, for example are not good source of vitamin D.
“Being Muslim, the women have limited benefits from Vitamin D-generating sunlight due to their dress habit. Childhood ricket is common in the region. Rickets in Nigeria mostly is a low calcium issue. One of the best things you can do for your children is to give them an excellent intra-uterine start,” he stated.
Mrs Fashola advised women of child bearing age to avail themselves of the nutrients and other micro nutrients that “are readily available in Frisomum Gold.”