Babies Born To Undernourished Mothers Are More At Risk Of Diabetes –Nutritionist, Ignatius Onimawo

A Professor of Public Health Nutrition, Ignatius Onimawo, has revealed that babies born to undernourished mothers are more at risk of diabetes later in life.

Speaking with PUNCH HealthWise in an interview, Prof. Onimawo who is the vice-chancellor, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, warned that malnutrition in pregnancy has long term consequences on the health and wellbeing of the child.

According to him, malnourished babies apart from being underweight are exposed to different health problems. The nutritionist, who is also a former President of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria, said,

“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, pancreas and these are very important organs of the body. Undernourished babies suffer lots of health challenges 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.

“Apart from babies born to undernourished mothers being underweight, most of the time, the babies are always at a disadvantage. 

“The babies 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.”

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According to UNICEF, 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 stunted children in the world, with a national prevalence rate of 32 per cent of children under five. 

“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 says.

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 the 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.

ALSO SEE: Nutritionist, Others Raise Awareness On Protein Deficiency, Malnutrition Among Nigerian Children

Prof. Onimawo, therefore, 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. He said:

“Nutrient such as iron is 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 and this will lead to malformation when the baby is born. So, mothers should know all these.”