Prevent stunting during pregnancy with the following nutrients

Reporting from the MCA-Indonesia page, 8.9 million Indonesian children experience growth problems. This means that one in three children in Indonesia is short due to stunting. The incidence of stunting in Indonesia is even higher than other countries in Southeast Asia, such as Myanmar (35%), Vietnam (23%), and Thailand (16%). However, there are many ways to prevent stunting that a mother can do from the time she is pregnant onwards.

Stunting at a glance

Stunting is a developmental disorder that causes children to have short stature, far from the average age of other children. The signs of stunting usually only appear when a child is two years old.

Stunting begins when the fetus is still in the womb caused by the mother's food intake during pregnancy that is not nutritious As a result, the nutrition the child gets in the womb is not sufficient. Malnutrition will stunt the baby's growth and can continue after birth.

In addition, stunting can also occur due to insufficient nutritional intake when children are under 2 years of age. Either because they are not exclusively breastfed, or the complementary foods (complementary foods) that are given lack of quality nutrients - including zinc, iron, and protein.

The Basic Health Research Report noted that stunting cases in children continued to increase from 2010 (35.6%) to 37.2 percent in 2013. It is not surprising that Indonesia ranks fifth in the world for the number of children with the most stunted conditions. Stunting is an emergency condition in Indonesia.

The effect of stunting cannot be reversed if it has occurred. Moreover, malnutrition in early childhood increases infant and child mortality. So, this growth disorder must be handled appropriately.

However, it is always better to prevent stunting than to treat it.

Prevent stunting in children from the time of pregnancy

One of the main factors that cause stunting is the inadequate nutritional intake of children when the child is still under five. But actually, preventing stunting can be done from an early age since pregnancy. The key is of course increasing the nutritional intake of pregnant women with good quality food. Iron and folic acid are a combination of important nutrients during pregnancy that can prevent stunting in children when they are born later.

Why do pregnant women need iron intake?

Iron deficiency during pregnancy is very common. It is estimated that half of all pregnant women worldwide are deficient in iron.

If you don't get enough iron from food, your body gradually takes it from your iron stores, putting you at increased risk of anemia. According to experts, anemia caused by iron deficiency in the first two trimesters is associated with a twofold risk of preterm birth and a threefold risk of low birth weight.

Red meat, poultry, and fish are among the best sources of iron for pregnant women. However, avoid eating chicken / goat / beef liver because the high content of vitamin A is not safe during pregnancy. You can also get iron from nuts, vegetables, and whole grains.

Apart from diet, you should also start taking low-dose iron supplements (30 mg per day) from your first pregnancy consultation. In most cases, you will get iron at this level in your prenatal vitamin. Onwards, you need at least 27 milligrams of iron daily during your pregnancy.

Why do pregnant women need folic acid?

The role of folic acid is very important in the development of the baby's brain and spinal cord. Taking folic acid during pregnancy can reduce the risk of pregnancy problems by up to 72 percent. Folic acid helps prevent neural tube defects, congenital diseases due to the failure of the development of the baby's organs, such as spina bifida and anencephaly.

Folic acid is part of the B group of vitamins, B9 to be precise. These nutrients can be found in poultry; green vegetables (spinach, asparagus, celery, broccoli, green beans, turnip greens, lettuce, long beans; carrots; fruits such as avocado, oranges, beets, bananas, tomatoes, cantaloupe, to corn and egg yolks. Seeds) -Sounds such as sunflower seeds (kuaci), wheat and refined wheat products (pasta) are also high in folic acid.

Pregnant women are often advised to increase their intake of folic acid through supplements. This is to ensure that you are still getting the right amount for each day. By consuming 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid per day, at least one month before you plan to become pregnant and continuing into the first trimester, you will reduce your baby's chances of developing neural tube defects by about 50-70%, as well as help reduce distraction other births - including preventing stunting.

Combine folic acid and iron with iron-folic acid supplements

Iron-folic acid supplements (a combination of iron and folic acid) can actually have a positive effect that should not be underestimated on the length of the baby at birth when consumed by mothers during pregnancy.

Research from Nepal found that a healthy diet coupled with the use of iron-folic acid or IFA supplements can prevent the risk of stunting in children by up to 14% when compared to mothers who have never taken IFA supplements since they were pregnant.

Prevent stunting in children by ensuring food intake in the first 1000 days of birth

Lack of nutrition in the first 1000 days of children is one of the causes of stunting which has a big role. As explained above, malnutrition will inhibit the development of children.

Preventing stunting in infants and toddlers can be done by ensuring exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months after birth and, if possible, until he is 2 years old. This is because breast milk has so many benefits, ranging from providing nutrition for babies, increasing the baby's immunity, to benefits for the development of the brain and body.

After 6 months of age, babies can begin to be introduced to complementary foods (complementary foods). The MPASI menu that can be given is usually in the form of crushed food resembling fine porridge, it can be from finely ground fruit, mashed potatoes, milk porridge, or porridge from mashed and filtered rice. When you are used to it, you can add other foods such as fish or mashed meat.

The best complementary side dish to help prevent stunting is one egg per day. Quoted from the NHS, consuming 1 egg per day can prevent stunting in children. Eggs are a food rich in protein and a myriad of important nutrients that help meet children's nutritional intake. Eggs are also an inexpensive and easy to get food ingredient.

Another thing that must be considered to prevent stunting in children

Every country, especially Asian countries, is increasingly active in launching stunting prevention programs. This is because stunting is a serious condition that can result in long-term economic losses for the country.

From pregnancy until the child's 1,000 days, or two years, is an important period to ensure the best nutritional intake. At this time, the child's brain and body will be most optimal to develop rapidly.

In Indonesia, according to the Indonesian Ministry of Health, short stature can also be prevented by Clean and Healthy Behavior (PHBS). This is a series of efforts that every household should make to improve access to clean water and environmental hygiene.

Access to good sanitation and a clean lifestyle can reduce the risk of disease and infection. Infections caused by hygiene problems are closely related to malnutrition. Not infrequently, this can cause stunting problems in the development of the fetus or child when he grows up.

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