Cebu City – Ideally, when a woman plans to conceive, she must undergo preparatory phases especially concerning her health and nutrition. The health condition of women in their reproductive age serves as the foundation for a safe and healthy pregnancy and fetal health. When she doesn’t receive adequate nourishment during this span, her risk for gestational and perinatal problems potentially increases, including the condition and survival of the fetus.
According to the data from WHO conferred in 2019, the global anemia prevalence was 29.9% in women of reproductive age, which was roughly equivalent to over half a billion women aged 15-49 years. In Central Visayas, according to the 2015 National Nutrition Survey, one out of 10 or 11.7% of women of reproductive age are anemic. Anemia refers to a condition wherein there is an insufficient number of red blood cells in the body, thus limiting the body’s oxygen-carrying capacity. The condition can be a result of nutritional deficiencies or chronic health conditions.
Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is one of the most common forms of anemia in the Philippines which can be caused by: low dietary iron intake, increased demand for iron in the body (e.g. pregnancy), and increased iron loss (e.g. cases of inflammatory bowel diseases, hookworm infections).
Iron is widely available in a variety of sources and can easily be found in your nearest wet markets and grocery shops. Here are a few pointers you can follow to prevent IDA:
Consume foods that are great sources of Iron. Iron in food can be found in both animal and plant sources. Heme iron can be found in animal flesh like meat, poultry, fish, and seafood, on the other hand, non-heme iron can be found in plant sources like whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, and leafy greens.
Get enough Vitamin C in your diet. Vitamin C is an essential part of the diet, necessary for the absorption of Iron in the body. You can get your Vitamin C from citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and tomatoes and from cruciferous vegetables like cabbage and broccoli.
Include Iron-enriched white bread, pasta, rice, and cereals in your diet. Pursuant to RA 8976 or the Food Fortification law in the Philippines, chosen products such as bread, pasta, rice, and cereals are fortified with micronutrients including Iron to help decrease the prevalence rate of deficiencies in the Philippines.
Prevention is indeed better than cure. The promotion of behavioral change among women in reproductive age is a strong recommendation. Furthering behavioral change, iron-rich foods should be made more available and accessible to vulnerable populations including women who are planning to conceive. Along with it, counseling and education must also be implemented. // DMO II Patricia B. Dalan, RND
References:
Rivera, A. K. (2020). Factors Associated with Anemia among Selected Women of Reproductive Age in Tondo, Manila, Philippines. ACTA MEDICA PHILIPPINA, 54(6).
Turawa, E. (2021, December 4). Prevalence of anaemia, iron deficiency, and iron deficiency anaemia in women of reproductive age and children under 5 years of age in South Africa (1997-2021): A systematic review. International journal of environmental research and public health. Retrieved February 28, 2023, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8656986/#:~:text=Globally%2C%20about%20one%2Dthird%20(,the%20regions%20of%20the%20world.
World Health Organization. (n.d.). Anaemia in women and children. World Health Organization. Retrieved February 2023, from https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/topics/anaemia_in_women_and_children
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