Malnutrition during pregnancy may expose babies to diabetes risk- Nutritionist

On Jun 12, 2023

A Professor of Public Health Nutrition, Ignatius Onimawo, says malnutrition during pregnancy may increase the risk of babies developing diabetes later in life. He explained that the quality and quantity of nutrition involved during pregnancy may have strong and permanent effects on the foetus.

Speaking with newsmen in an interview, Prof. Onimawo, who is a former vice-chancellor, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, warned that malnutrition in pregnancy has long-term consequences on the health and well-being of babies.

He also described pregnancy as a critical phase in a woman’s life when an expectant mother needs optimal nutrients of superior quality to support the developing foetus.

Besides making children susceptible to diseases and infections, Prof. Onimawo said malnutrition slows wound healing and delays the recovery of children suffering from infections.

“When a woman is pregnant and malnourished, a lot of activities will take place. First, the baby in the womb will be malnourished and a malnourished baby will not have a normal size of heart, lungs, kidney and pancreas. These are very important organs of the body. Undernourished babies suffer lots of health challenges later in life.

“Malnutrition affects both their cognitive and physical development, and when you are malnourished, you will not be able to lead a fulfilled life,” he said.

The professor, who is also a former President of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria, said poor nutrition during pregnancy severely impacts the health of a child, noting that the baby’s nutrition depends on the mother’s diet.

He said, “Apart from babies born to undernourished mothers being underweight, most of the time, the babies are always at a disadvantage. They may end up becoming diabetic when they grow up. The reason is that the laydown of muscles, while they were in the womb, was not properly carried out.”

Prof. Onimawo further disclosed that malnutrition increases healthcare costs, reduces productivity, and slows economic growth, which can perpetuate a cycle of poverty and ill health.

“Childhood malnutrition, including overnutrition, increases a child’s susceptibility to several infections and often delays recovery from these infections, thus posing a large burden of disease in developing countries.

“Malnutrition, in all its forms, includes undernutrition (wasting, stunting, underweight), inadequate vitamins or minerals, overweight, obesity, and can also result in diet-related noncommunicable diseases,” he added.

According to United Nations Children’s Fund, malnutrition is a direct or underlying cause of 45 per cent of all deaths of under-five children.

“Nigeria has the second-highest burden of “An estimated 2 million children in Nigeria suffer from severe acute malnutrition, but only two out of every 10 children affected is currently reached with treatment. Seven per cent of women of childbearing age also suffer from acute malnutrition”, UNICEF stated.

The World Health Organisation equally noted that maintaining good nutrition and a healthy diet during pregnancy is critical for the health of the mother and unborn child.

According to WHO, a healthy diet during pregnancy should contain adequate energy, protein, vitamins and minerals, obtained through the consumption of a variety of foods, including green and orange vegetables, meat, fish, beans, nuts, pasteurized dairy products and fruit.

Against this background, Prof. Onimawo called for increased nutrition awareness to address the burden of malnutrition in pregnancy among women in Nigeria.

He also advised medical practitioners to always counsel pregnant women about the benefits of healthy diets, especially those rich in iron and folate.

“Nutrients such as iron are very important in the development of the cells. When a pregnant woman stops taking foods rich in iron, she will be deficient in iron and that deficiency will affect the foetus and the cells will not form properly. This will lead to malformation when the baby is born. So, mothers should know all these”, he said.

Wumi/Punch