UNAIR NEWS – Nutrition has a vital role during pregnancy. The undernutrition (lack of nutrition) in pregnant women can cause disruptions, such as during fetal growth and delivery, mainly related to contractions that contribute to maternal and fetal mortality.
Dr Nareswari Imanadha Cininda Marcianora SpOG conveyed it at the UTERUS (Update on Obstetric and Gynecology Practice in Primary Care Settings) Pre-Event, Sunday, September 19, 2022. At the event held by UNAIR Faculty of Medicine, Dr. Cininta stated that under normal conditions, the total calories needed by a pregnant woman is 77,000 kcal.
“In the first trimester, you need an additional 85 kcal of calories per day. Then, in the second trimester until the beginning of the third trimester, you need an additional 284 kcal per day, “said Dr Cininta.
These numbers will continue to rise with increasing gestational age, as in the third trimester of pregnancy, a pregnant woman requires an additional 475 kcal in one day.
These additional calories are useful for preparation of the delivery, postpartum, breastfeeding, and restoring the body to its pre-pregnancy condition. Then, what is the ideal nutritional intake for a pregnant woman?
This ob-gyn specialist at Dr Soetomo Hospital emphasized the importance of maintaining macronutrient intake as a source of energy, micronutrients, and fluids during pregnancy.
Source of energy for pregnant women
“The main source of energy for pregnant women is protein and fat. They are needed primarily for fetal development, uterine and placental growth, and preparation for birth and breastfeeding,” said Dr. Cininta.
Micronutrients continued Dr. Cininta, can be obtained from folic acid, vitamin B12 (animal protein), vitamin C, and calcium. “In addition to maternal and osteoporosis prevention, he (calcium, ed) is also needed for the formation and mineralization of bones and teeth in infants and preparation for breast milk,” she explained.
These nutrients must be met during pregnancy to avoid undernutrition. There are numerous cases of undernutrition in pregnant women in various parts of the world. The Southeast Asia region recorded a maternal undernutrition rate of around 10 percent whereas the global average was 10-20 percent.
“The easiest way to find out the undernutrition condition in pregnant women is to check the anemia rate in the entire population of pregnant women in a country,” said Dr. Cininta. WHO (World Health Organization) recommends that the anemia rate in pregnant women is 20 percent at max of the entire population of pregnant women in a country.
Indonesia recorded a fairly high number of anemia in pregnant women. Based on the 2013 Basic Health Research (Riskesdas) data, the anemia rate in pregnant women in Indonesia was approximately 37 percent. (*)
Author: Agnes Ikandani
Editor: Binti Q. Masruroh
