The comprehensive importance of antenatal healthcare promotion: A basic need for pregnant women
Antenatal healthcare promotion is a key factor in ensuring health sustainability for nursing moms, it is the most common practice viable to grooming healthy moms. It plays an important role in curbing the menace of child death before delivery and also strengthens maternal health chain.
Health clinics abduct basic antenatal care approach in providing the needed health care assistance for pregnant women, the world health organization (WHO) in its research recommends basic antenatal healthcare approach although being a modified version of the engrossed antenatal approach, the basic antenatal healthcare system was introduced by researchers upon realizing that the traditional antenatal healthcare program designated to developed countries were less implemented and less effective.
Hence, basic antenatal approach has become the deal breaker as it is termed the cornerstone for minimizing child mortality in many countries and is currently advocated as the recommended standard for antenatal care administered to pregnant women.
The introduction of basic antenatal healthcare approach creates a positive impact for pregnant women as this system has become so elementary in most clinics as this ensures the first antenatal care consultation takes place as soon as the doctor confirms evidence of pregnancy.
THE COMPREHENSIVE IMPORTANCE
The acronym (ANC) usually describes medical care procedures rendered to pregnant women from the inception of pregnancy to the point of child birth, it is efficient in detecting and resolving issues that may surface during gestation period. If this problems are left unresolved they can pose a health risk to both mother and the unborn child.
Antenatal health care during pregnancy may include diagnostic procedures, screening tests, prophylactic/preventive treatments, some of this processes are carried out on a routine bases while others require specific problems identified from diagnosis or some discovered risk factors. According to “patterson” antenatal healthcare offers benefits to both mother and unborn child as it facilitates proper diagnosis and also controls risk factors that would pose a health threat or negatively affect pregnancy outcomes.
ANTENATAL NUTRITIONAL FACTORS
The sought of food intake during pregnancy is essential to the nourishment of the unborn child, in other words the kind of food you eat contributes to the health of your unborn baby. So, nutrition experts recommend that a mother’s diet must include a wide range of healthy foods to enhance the development of the baby in the womb.
FOUR MOST NEEDED NUTRIENTS DURING PREGNANCY
CALCIUM: The structural development of your baby is essential and calcium plays a role in the development of bones. Although during pregnancy the mother’s body is engineered to source nutrients from within and provide them regularly to the baby via the placenta it is equally essential to consume foods rich in calcium and vitamin D. Food sources include: milk, , calcium-fortified juices and foods, and some leafy greens
IRON: Naturally during pregnancy your body utilizes iron in blood production for you and your unborn child, it also facilitates the flow of oxygen from the lungs to other parts of your body including your womb. A much reduced intake of iron during pregnancy can result to anemia which is caused by a condition of low amount of red blood cells.
In this case iron supplements will be recommended plus an increased intake of vitamin C which helps the absorption of iron in the body. Food sources include: Lean meat, poultry, fish, dried beans and peas, iron-fortified cereal.
FOLIC ACID: Folic acid (folate) is a B vitamin which is one of the most important nutrients your baby needs for proper brain and spinal cord development, it prevents a neural tube defect in developing babies. The prescribed amount of folic acid to be taken during pregnancy is 600 micro grams per day. Food sources include: Breads and pastas, beans, citrus fruits, leafy green vegetables, fortified or enriched cereals.
PROTEIN: During pregnancy, the various forms body of metabolism requires a lot of protein, dietitians recommend a high intake of protein as your baby needs it for proper growth and development. Food sources include: meat, poultry, spinach, dried beans and peas, eggs and nuts.
ANTENATAL MEDICATION AND COUNSELLING
Antenatal care provides a handful of information and recommendations for women and families with regards to safe child delivery, postnatal recovery, healthy pregnancy, newborn healthcare, breastfeeding, circumcision, family planning and assistance with future pregnancies. The healthcare system plays an important role in providing an effective antenatal healthcare package for pregnant women which may include laboratory support, medical screening, medications, consultations, adequate supplies and adequate referral services.
In conclusion, it is necessary for pregnant women to receive regular check ups as it ensures a better health maintenance for you and your baby. Doctors and midwives are in best position to offer this service, antenatal visits also affords you the opportunity to make inquires about challenges or irregularities you might encounter during pregnancy on a daily basis.
