Healthy eating for pregnant women program launched

The state-run maternity hospital at Petlaburj is in collaboration with city-based NGO, Helping Hand Foundation. This hospital has been running an exclusive program on “Healthy eating during pregnancy”. It is aimed at helping the expecting mothers improve their Nutritional health during pregnancy.

Healthy Snacks & Fruits Served

In this unique program perhaps first in a public maternity hospital, about 150-200 pregnant women consulted every day. Pregnant women in ante natal care in the hospital used to get served with healthy snacks & fruits.

Healthy fruits & snacks like bananas, dates, peanut chiki etc distributed to the expectant mothers while they wait for their consultation.

Benefits of Healthy Diet

The whole concept is just not to distribute the healthy snacks but to inculcate the habit of healthy eating during pregnancy. These expecting mothers been counselled by the volunteers of HHF. In their counselling, benefits of eating bananas, dates and other healthy snacks regularly been told to the patients.

The Volunteers, who are well versed in local language particularly Urdu explain how bananas are a rich source of folic acid, potassium and antioxidants. Some other fruits also are vital for formation of bones as they further explain how dates are rich in Iron etc. Dietary fiber is also a vital intake and can prevent potential birth defects by preventing anemia in women.

Women counselled in their Mother Tongue

Good counselling is changing the mind set of women, who come from weaker economic back grounds. Counselling them regularly is encouraging them to consciously eat healthy when they go back home. Good nutrition during ante natal period is critical for expecting mothers. A healthy diet can potentially reduce the risk of diseases in new born. Nutritional food also reduce vitamin deficiencies in new born. It was reported by the doctors associated with the program at the state-run facility.