CABARROGUIS, Quirino—The provincial government here, through the Provincial Health Office and the Provincial Nutrition Committee, recently unveiled the First 1000 Days Program aimed at ensuring the health of the mother and her child for the first 1,000 days.
The launching which was participated by at least 300 pregnant mothers is one of the highlights of the “Buntis Congress”, a gift from Congressman Dakila Carlo Cua to the pregnant mothers on his birthday last November 4.
In her message, Dr. Mila Villar, provincial health officer, said this aims to address the high levels of stunting cases based on the 2015 Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) survey as a result of poor infant and young child feeding in the first two years of life coupled with bouts of infection.
Villar urged the pregnant mothers to always consult their nutritionists and dieticians to be able to properly address their nutrition needs adding that maternal nutrition is very important for the growing fetus.
The pregnant mothers were also given lectures on the First 1000 Days, Basic Concept of Food and Nutrition; Malnutrition, forms, causes and consequences, Pinggang Pinoy, among others.
Nutritionist-dietician Clavelina Tolbe told the pregnant mothers that the first 1,000 days is a "golden window of opportunity" in the life of a new human being, where proper nutrition is needed to ensure the baby's best health. This includes the 270 days of pregnancy, 365 days of their first year and 365 days of year two when the nutritional foundation for life and for the baby’s future health development starts.
She also reiterated the importance of exclusive breastfeeding up to six months and timely introduction of complementary feeding at six months with breastfeeding to continue until two years or beyond saying that mother’s milk has the most powerful natural antibiotic called the colustrum that the infant needs for the protection from infections and allergy.
On the other hand, Nutritionist-dietician Eric Sagaysay discussed the importance of maternal nutrition, putting emphasis on the Pinggang Pinoy or the guide on how much to eat per mealtime and the Food Pyramid which recommends the whole day food intake of pregnant, lactating mothers and children of different ages. (ALM/TCB/PIA-2 Cagayan)
