Nutrition and Food Proportion for the Maintenance of Health and Fitness of the Pregnant Mothers and Children

Abstract

Pregnant mothers’ and children’s health has continued to be a public health problem of great concern. Nutrition has been found as a vital key in the maintenance of pregnant mothers’ and children’s health and fitness. Adequate nutrition is important at all stages throughout life particularly during pregnancy as pregnancy, lactation and infancy are times of heightened nutritional vulnerability. Beginning pregnancy with a healthy diet is giving the fetus the best possible nutritional advantage. This window of opportunity in ensuring good health status for children through adequate nutrition is however found not to be maximized as evidenced by the trend of malnutrition in Nigeria. The prevalence rates of stunting, wasting, under-weight, protein-energy malnutrition, iron deficiency anaemia, iodine deficiency disorders and vitamin A deficiency disorder amongst others in Nigeria especially in the northern part of the country therefore calls for prompt action in ameliorating these anomalies. Diet has poorly been planned due to the poor economic status of most families, unavailability of diverse healthy food and lack of education hence promoting malnutrition in the country. Exclusive breastfeeding which protects children from myriad of nutritional disorders and infections have also been poorly practiced. Fitness and nutrition are strongly linked in maintaining pregnant mothers’ and children’s health but its numerous accruing advantages for the mother and fetus notwithstanding, only very few pregnant mothers indulge adequately in exercise. This paper therefore intended to bring to light the maintenance of health and fitness of pregnant mothers and children through adequate nutrition and exercises. It was recommended that economic improvement of families, provision of adequate and fortified food, intake of micronutrient supplements, education of mothers and encouragement to indulge in exercise and exclusive breastfeeding for children amongst others would promote and maintain pregnant mothers’ and children’s health and fitness.