THE Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) Monday held a mini health fair at its maternity clinic with the intention to educate parents on pre- and post-natal care, nutrition, education and counselling, in order to improve nutrition practices before and during pregnancy, and to improve maternal nutrition and reduce the risk of poor health outcomes in both mothers and their children.

Clinical Instructor, Marjorie Arjune said the objectives of the fair were encapsulated in the “Millennium Development Goal” relative to supporting healthy babies and mothers in order to sustain a healthy life.

The health fair provided new and expectant mothers with educational information on breastfeeding, health checks-ups, urine testing, blood pressure testing, and dietary lifestyle with a nutritionist.

Arjune noted that breast milk provides the ideal nutrition for infants. The antibodies found in breast milk help babies fight off viruses and bacteria, and lower babies’ risk of having asthma or allergies. Moreover, babies who are exclusively breast fed for the first six months of their lives have fewer ear infections, respiratory illnesses, and bouts of diarrhea, thus having fewer trips to see the doctor.

Stressing the importance of a proper diet for pregnant mothers, Arjune noted that “whatever the mother eats determines the kind of baby she gets”. Many women do not eat a well-balanced diet before pregnancy, and may not have the proper nutritional status for the demands of pregnancy, she said.

Generally, a pregnant woman needs to add about 300 extra calories daily to meet the needs of her body and her developing foetus; and those calories, as well as her entire diet, need to be healthy, balanced, and nutritious.

However, Arjune noted that, after pregnancy, a mother still needs to keep a healthy, well-balanced diet to sustain her baby during breastfeeding, thus she advises mothers to eat rich foods that contain all food groups, such as proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals. As such, she said, eating meals with vegetables and fruits while consuming a lot of water is necessary.

Miss Arjune noted that the fair was held in celebration of International Breastfeeding Week, wherein the GPHC is helping to promote, sustain and protect breastfeeding.

She said it was important that the GPHC works in partnership with families, communities and the various sectors to help achieve the Millennium Development Goal.

(Clestine Juan)