Group advises pregnant women on multiple micronutrients supplement

From :Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

Alive & Thrive (A&T) has urged pregnant women on intake of multiple micronutrients supplement (MMS) in place of Iron and Folic Acid (IFA).
The Zonal Coordinator, A&T, Sarah Kwasu at a media and stakeholders roundtable to promote issue salience on Maternal Infant and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN), said that MMS contains 15 essential vitamins and minerals that women need to help ensure a healthy pregnancy, and a healthy baby.
According to her, low and middle income women don’t receive MMS they receive a less complete and less effective product, IFA.
She said “the risk of infant mortality (from 0-6 months of age) decreases by 29% when a mother with anemia takes MMS during pregnancy. reduce the risk of a child being stillborn by 26% among anemic, pregnant women.
“Taking MMS by pregnant women reduce the risk of a child being born underweight to anemic pregnant women by 19%. reduce the risk of a child being born pre-term by 8%. Among pregnant, underweight women, the risk decreases by 16%”.
The Breast Milk Substitute, (BMS) Desk Officer, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Kaduna, Rahila Maishanu said, one of the factors adduced to the failure of exclusive breastfeeding in Nigeria is the influence aggressive marketing by breast milk substitute, noting that Kaduna State has 41 per cent of exclusive breastfeeding.
She said, one major reason for implementing BMS code in the country is to promote optimal infant and young child feeding for child survival, growth and development.
In her remarks Permanent Secretary, of the Kaduna State Ministry of Environment, Linda Yakubu, said media is key partners in promoting the issue of nutrition in the state.