Stunting is a developmental disorder in children that can cause their bodies to be short. Luckily, trouble stunting in children can be prevented since pregnancy, you know, pregnant. Come on, see how here.
A child can be said to be affected stunting, if his height is below the growth standard of children his age. Not only looks short, stunting It is also at risk of disrupting cognitive development, interfering with children's learning abilities, and increasing the risk of children experiencing various chronic diseases as adults.
Stunting In children, it can be caused by various factors, ranging from genetic factors, lack of nutritional intake in the womb and after birth, repeated infections, to low levels of parental knowledge about the normal growth and development of children.
How to Prevent Stuntingin Children since Pregnancy
Here are some ways that can be done to reduce the risk of children experiencing: stunting since pregnancy:
1. Meet nutritional needs
This is one of the most important things to do to prevent stunting in children. In order for a child's growth and development process to run optimally, he needs to get adequate nutritional intake in the first 1000 days of his life, from being a fetus until he is about 2 years old.
During pregnancy, make sure pregnant women consume enough macronutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. In addition, pregnant women also need to consume foods and drinks that are rich in vitamins and minerals, namely iron, folic acid, choline, magnesium, iodine, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin B, and vitamin D.
To meet the nutritional intake above in order to prevent stunting In children, pregnant women need to consume various types of healthy balanced nutritious foods, such as fish, eggs, meat, seafood, nuts, seeds, milk, cheese, yogurt, as well as various fruits and vegetables.
2. Do it content check routinely
Routine gynecological examination is no less important in preventing stunting in children. Routine examinations during pregnancy are needed to monitor fetal growth and development, and detect if there are problems with the fetus or the health of the pregnant woman.
Thus, the doctor can treat it earlier, so that the child does not experience complications stunting and maintain good health conditions for pregnant women.
3. Apply clean and healthy lifestyle
Clean and healthy living behavior (PHBS) is also important for pregnant women to live in order to prevent infection during pregnancy.
It is important to remember that certain bacterial, viral or parasitic infections that pregnant women experience can increase the risk of the fetus experiencing stunting or even more serious health problems, such as birth defects.
Therefore, remember to wash your hands with soap and water regularly, especially before eating, before preparing food, after traveling, and after using the bathroom.
In addition, if pregnant women have pets at home, especially cats, make sure that the litter box is really kept clean. When cleaning pet waste, always wear gloves and wash your hands afterward.
4. Avoid exposure to cigarette smoke
To support healthy fetal growth, pregnant women must also stop smoking and avoid exposure to secondhand smoke. The reason is that exposure to cigarette smoke can increase the risk of children being born prematurely, having low birth weight, and experiencing obesity stunting.
If there are family members who smoke in the house, pregnant women should ask them not to smoke in the house. Meanwhile, when outside the house, in order to avoid exposure to pollution, dust, and germs and viruses in the air, pregnant women can wear a mask.
5. Exercise regularly
Exercising regularly during pregnancy can support a healthy pregnancy while increasing pregnant women's stamina and fitness. Exercise during pregnancy is also good for supporting fetal growth and reducing the risk of experiencing pregnancy loss stunting.
That's a variety of information about how to prevent stunting in children that can be done from the time of pregnancy. If pregnant women still have questions about how to prevent stunting, do not hesitate to consult a doctor, yes.