A STUDY ON THE IMPACT OF NUTRI-FOOD ON HEALTH AND NUTRITION OF LACTATING WOMEN OF FLOOD- AFFECTED ZONE IN SAMASTIPUR DISTRICT OF BIHAR
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Date
2022
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Dr.RPCAU, Pusa
Abstract
Mothers are nutritionally vulnerable during childbirth and nursing, because
they are subjected to numerous nutritional stresses. After giving birth to a child,
females secrete milk, which is known as lactation. Lactation period recommended by
WHO is six months (exclusive breastfeeding) it can last till 12-months. In rural areas,
breastfeeding occurs till two years or more than this. In the present investigation
selection of total 80 lactating women (0-2 years) from Tira village in Jatmalpur
panchayat under Kalyanpur block of Samastipur district in Bihar, was done randomly.
All subjects were divided into two groups, one as control group and another one as
experimental group (where each group had 40 subjects). Only experimental group had
been provisioned with nutri-food and assessment of weight gain and dietary intake
was done for both the groups. An energy dense nutri-food has been standardized in
the department of food and nutrition, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural
University, Pusa, Samastipur, Bihar. Per day serving of 130 gram nutri-food gives
energy-511kcal, protein-11.5g, and total fats-11 g. This standardized Product had
been used in this present investigation to see the impact on the health and nutritional
status of lactating women. This was prepared with raw ingredients and distributed 130
gram/ day among the subjects of the experimental group for two months. The impact of this intervention was assessed in terms of improvement in their daily dietary intake,
anthropometric measurements and clinical symptoms. The data revealed that before
intervention daily intake of all food groups was inadequate in comparison of
Recommended Dietary Intake (RDI) in both the groups, control as well as in the
experimental group. But after the intervention, in control group, dietary intake
remained same, whereas in the experimental group, there were increase in the intake
of cereals & millets, pulses & legumes, sugars, and fats & oils. Similarly, before
intervention, Intake of nutrients such as energy, protein, fats, carbohydrates, ẞ-
carotene, calcium, vitamin-C and iron were also inadequate in comparison of
Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) in both the groups. After intervention,
nutrient intake remained same in control group, on the other hand, in the experimental
group there were increase in the intake of energy (21%), protein (18%), fats (30%),
carbohydrates (24%), calcium (15%), and iron (18%). Prior to intervention, subjects
of both the groups were having some clinical symptoms such as headache, fatigue,
nausea, shakiness, stomach bloating, constipation, problem-sleeping and muscle pain.
Whereas, after intervention, subjects of control group had no relief in those clinical
symptoms but subjects of experimental group, felt some relief in symptoms after the
getting feed for two months, but was not cured completely. Most of the subjects in
control as well as in experimental group, were underweight by having different grades
of chronic energy deficiency. However, after the intervention of two months, there
was slight decrease in the weight of control group by 0.64 per cent. Whereas, weight
of subjects in the experimental group was increase significantly (p≤0.05) by 1.02 per
cent and their BMI increase significantly (p≤0.05) toward the normal range. Thus, nutrifood
intervention proved significant in improving health and nutritional status of
lactating women.