Causes Of Post-Natal Malnutrition Among Women

Postnatal

oi-Anwesha Barari

By Anwesha Barari

Tuesday, July 26, 2011, 16:19

Post natal malnutrition can have devastating effects on both the mother and child. Postpartum malnutrition although common among women can be easily remedies keeping in mind a few basic points. Malnutrition during pregnancy or even after it adversely effects the baby and thus, should be avoided at all costs. Malnutrition among women who have just delivered is one of the major postpartum problems. So, lets take a closer look.

Why do women suffer post natal malnutrition?

• Breast feeding is the first and most important reason for postpartum malnutrition. Nursing mothers need to increase their energy intake by at least 1000 kilo calories every day. Without proper guidance or a nutrition chart, most women are unable to plan their diet adequately. This leads to dehydration, deficiency of vitamins and minerals and severe anemia in some cases, which we collectively term as post natal malnutrition.
• As breast feeding makes one hungry, they tend to eat whatever comes there way. Feel-good foods are usually not rich in vitamins and minerals and thus, it leads to post natal malnutrition.
• It is important to continue taking prenatal vitamins even after child birth. Prenatal vitamins like folic acid are water soluble and therefore flushed out from the body regularly. Deficiency of folic acid commonly causes severe anemia in post natal women. So even if you think you have had 'enough' prenatal vitamins, carry on taking them for at least 6 months after child birth.
• Postpartum depression is a leading cause of postpartum malnutrition. After the delivery, the mother is in an emotional turmoil which if not handled delicately can cause clinical depression. This prevents the mother from eating and thus causes post natal malnutrition.
• Almost all women put on weight during pregnancy and some are in a hurry to get back in shape. For drastic weight loss, they try crash diets and other harmful method that imminently lead to postpartum malnutrition. Weight loss has to be a gradual process id malnutrition after pregnancy has to be avoided. The new mothers can easily lose up to 4 to 5 pounds in a month without neglecting their nutrition needs.
• Sleep disorder is one of the side effects of having a baby and is not an easy postpartum problem to solve. The new mother is usually kept on her toes by her little one immediately after birth. It is indeed difficult to sneak in even 5 hours of sound sleep. However, if if the mother is sleep deprived then the nutrients will not be absorbed in the body. This condition has the potential to cause post natal malnutrition. The only solution is to accustom your body to sleep whenever the baby sleep.

If you have to avoid postpartum malnutrition then you must follow a diet planned either by your doctor or a nutritionist. Malnutrition during pregnancy can also trigger postnatal malnutrition symptoms. So it is important to eat well and follow a diet before and after child birth