The Raphael Medical Centre in collaboration with the Tema General Hospital has organised a health talk for pregnant women and women with children under five years old.
The programme was aimed at improving nutritional status of pregnant women, addressing the challenges of poor feeding of babies and children as well as promoting the general well-being of mothers and infants.
It was characterised with food exhibition, immunisation and weighing, free nutrition counselling for pregnant women and children under five years.
Ms Patient Osubutey, the Midwife Supervisor, Raphal Medical Centre said it had been realised that due to tight schedules of working parents, the nutritional value among children was gradually dwindling, hence the need to get mothers on-board to draw their attention to the menace.
Ms Osubutey, said that statistics within the region showed a worrying record number of malnutrition cases, adding that, most of the pregnant women lose some amount of blood at childbirth.
She urged them to adhere to expert instructions to boost their haemoglobin levels for the well-being and survival of both the mother and the unborn child.
She further explained that maintaining good nutrition and a healthy diet during pregnancy was important and advised all pregnant women to take their antenatal clinic seriously.
Ms Vera Boakye, a Nutrition Officer at the Tema General Hospital, told the participant that a healthy diet during pregnancy must contain adequate protein, vitamins and minerals, which could be obtained through the consumption of a variety of foods, including green and orange vegetables, meat, fish, beans, and fruit among others.
Ms Boakye mentioned that all the nutrients needed were contained in the four-star diets known as dairy, grains, fruits and vegetables, as well as meat and proteins.
She underscored the importance of consuming iron-rich foods found in animal and plant-based foods.
Ms Joyce Asare Kissi, the Head of Nutrition Unit, Tema General Hospital, urged the participants to do the Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) test before giving the babies certain foods, and cautioned against caffeinated products.
The group prepared cocoyam porridge, fufu, green soup, spicy millet drink, lemon juice, pineapple soup and a lot more for the beneficiaries.
GNA
