Eat fruits and vegetables despite rising prices, doctors tell pregnant women

As prices of food items, especially fruits and vegetables, continue to rise, doctors have urged pregnant women to ensure that there is no shortage of fruits and vegetables in their diet.

Since the onset of inflation and food insecurity, many Nigerians, including pregnant women, have complained of their inability to regularly meet their daily food needs.

However, doctors noted that pregnant women who did not take the necessary vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that could be found in fruits and vegetables were at risk of having babies with low birth weight, birth defects, spinal cord and brain and poor cognitive functions, among others. health problems.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria’s annual inflation reached 28.92% in December 2023.

Compared to the inflation rate recorded in December 2022, the NBS reported that the country recorded an increase of 7.58 percent in 2023.

Food inflation in December 2023 was 33.93 percent, an increase of 10.18 percent from the 23.75 percent recorded in December 2022.

Several factors, such as the removal of fuel subsidies, the steady fall of the naira, insecurity in the North, unfair food prices and the activities of middlemen, as well as the impact of floods in about 33 states in 2022, are responsible for increasing food supplies. prices.

PUNCH Health has repeatedly reported the inability of many Nigerians, especially those with long-term non-communicable diseases and vulnerable groups, to achieve adequate dietary requirements due to rising food prices.

Medical experts had warned of increases in peptic ulcers, depression and malnutrition, while the United Nations Children’s Fund predicted that acute malnutrition would reach two million people in 2023 due to the worsening food crisis.

Yet food prices continue to rise.

Speaking on the nutritional importance of fruits and vegetables for the fetus, the Pediatrician and Rector of the Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Health Sciences, Ila-Orangun, Osun State, Prof. Aishatu Gobir, said intrauterine nutrition plays an important role. on the growth and development of a child.

She added that when a fetus lacks necessary nutrients, it can affect the child throughout childhood and adulthood.

Don said: “Fruit and vegetables should be part of everyone’s diet, but we know that nutrient needs increase during pregnancy. Fruits and vegetables play an important role in providing micronutrients such as vitamins, minerals and trace elements. These are found in unprocessed fruits and vegetables and help the body use other nutrients. Brain development is particularly affected by trace elements contained in vegetables. “When a woman suffers from a deficiency in folic acid, derived from vegetables, the fetus may have malformations of the spinal cord and brain. A child’s cognitive function, which determines academic performance, is also affected by micronutrient deficiencies that can result from poor fruit and vegetable consumption.

She further noted that while the current inflation was affecting the nutrition of other family members, pregnant women, due to the increased demand, were the worst affected.

The pediatrician also said that iron and folic acid deficiencies could lead to anemia during pregnancy, thus causing low birth weight, among other problems.

PUNCH Health recently reported that 50 percent of pregnant women were anemic.

Don advises pregnant women to eat seasonal fruits and vegetables and avoid overheating vegetables to preserve essential micronutrients, such as folic acid.

Gobir further asserted, “The ideal diet of a pregnant woman should contain all classes of foods in the right mix. Attending prenatal care will allow families to learn about appropriate foods for pregnant women. This will help in the growth and development of the fetus, baby and children.

Also, Beatrice Ogunba, Professor of Public Health Nutrition at Obafemi Awolowo University, said rising food prices had left many Nigerians unable to meet their nutritional and food needs as they could no longer afford to buy essential foods.

She added that food insecurity was creating a problem, noting that pregnant women who needed a variety of diets for the baby’s normal growth and development could no longer afford them.

Ogunba, who is also a researcher on breastfeeding and complementary feeding, said: “Fruits and vegetables are one of the essential nutrients required during pregnancy as they are a source of vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants. So, if pregnant women do not have these essential nutrients, the first thing they will have is a deficiency of vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, low potassium and folate. Folate is an essential nutrient during pregnancy that helps prevent anemia. When a pregnant woman suffers from anemia, it affects the child and can lead to low birth weight in children. Additionally, their immune system will be compromised because fruits and vegetables help strengthen the immune system and prevent the occurrence of infection in women.

“Fruits and vegetables also provide fiber to the diet. Digestive problems are common in pregnant women so they will need a lot of fiber and if they do not consume enough fiber there will be constipation during pregnancy and there will be no regular bowel movements and if they attempt to go to the intestine forcefully, this could lead to abortion.

Ogunba further noted that these deficiencies would increase the risk of health complications in babies.

She noted that antioxidants were important for overall cellular health and growth of mother and child, adding that their absence would expose the body’s cells to free radicals, thereby leading to health problems.

Don advised pregnant women to prioritize and intentionally eat fruits and vegetables to improve the health of themselves and their babies.

The public health nutritionist said: “They should intentionally buy fruits and vegetables that are available and cheap. You don’t have to go for the most expensive ones; they can buy them in season. Most importantly, they should regularly use the supplements given to them at antenatal clinics to ensure they have enough folate. Prioritize and choose the right fruits and vegetables, you don’t have to focus on one in particular. It is advisable to make a variety in order to be able to provide different nutrients contained in different fruits and vegetables. You don’t have to buy the most expensive ones, you can opt for the cheaper ones, oranges are not expensive and they are a good source of citrus fruits.