TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

Putting mother, child health first

Dwita Nugrahanti (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Wed, August 15, 2018

Share This Article

Change Size

Putting mother, child health first For new mothers, motherhood is both miraculous and worrying. (Shutterstock/Valeriya Anufriyeva)

For new mothers, motherhood is both miraculous and worrying.

Pediatrician Natia Anjasari said the health of both baby and mother was strongly influenced by living conditions and knowledge of baby care. Newborns with less educated mothers are three times more likely to die during the first month.

“The first 1,000 days is the phase when the [baby’s] brain is growing the fastest, the intestines are developing and firming, and a child’s cognitive function is forming,” she said during a recent discussion organized by a detergent brand in Jakarta.

The doctor from Brawijaya Women and Children Hospital Jakarta said new mothers should start educating themselves early on about nutrition and hygiene for newborn babies.

More than three million babies were born in Indonesia in 2017. According to UNICEF, for every 1,000 live births, 40 children in Indonesia died under the age of 5 annually. The causes of death included diarrhea (11.7 percent), premature birth (19.2 percent) and pneumonia (15.5 percent).

Anemia is the most common problem affecting pregnant mothers and infants, largely as a result of the loss of red blood cells caused by iron deficiency, which often leads to malnutrition and premature birth.

Natia said nutrition was vital for pregnant mothers and newborns — not only can good nutrition prevent diseases and premature birth, it can also enhance the baby’s brain development and immune system by consuming food rich in DHA, zinc and iron. These vitamins can be found in food such as fish, lean meat and green vegetables.

Breastfeeding undoubtedly offers a tremendous amount of nutrients for children. However, UNICEF data in 2015 showed that only nine out of 34 provinces in Indonesia had a rate of more than 50 percent exclusive breastfeeding for infants aged 0 to 5 months.

Babies are also more susceptible to viruses and bacteria, making the hygiene factor another important aspect that can affect the well-being of mother and child.

The pediatrician suggested the easiest way to maintain hygiene was for parents to wash their hands regularly — mainly before touching, after cleaning and before feeding the baby.

The cleaning method, though a simple habit, could help prevent diarrhea and Upper Respiratory Tract Infection on children.

Aside from diarrhea and stunting, urinary tract infections (UTI) are also common diseases caused by poor hygiene and sanitation. Parents are advised to change the baby’s diaper every 2 to 3 hours, even during the night, to prevent UTI in children.

Currently, information is easily available from various online sources. But actress Chelsea Olivia believes that as a mother, she has to be meticulous with new information, urging new mothers to do monthly checkups and ask for advice directly from pediatricians. ”Information is easily acquired these days, yet it can be easily misleading,” she said.

***

The writer is an intern at The Jakarta Post.

{

Your Opinion Counts

Your thoughts matter - share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.