Accra pregnant women educated

The Centre for Pregnancy and Childbirth Education (CePaCE) on Saturday organised a seminar for pregnant women in Accra.

The seminar was to help reduce domestic influences faced by some pregnant women and also to educate them on the importance of ensuring a healthier pregnancy.

Dr Joan Woode, Paediatrician at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) therefore urged all mothers to bring their children suffering from anaemia to the hospital for early treatment and to ensure the proper growth of the child.

She said anaemia in pregnant women can result in small babies, increased preterm delivery and delayed cognitive function if proper medication is not taken.

Dr Kwaku Asah-Opoku, Gynaecologist at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at KBTH, said pregnancy is a physiological state that predisposes to anaemia.

Dr Asah-Opoku said babies extract a lot of iron from the mother such that if the mother is not adequately replenishing her food, she ends up being anaemic because iron is required for the formation of haemoglobin in the blood.

He explained that anaemia is caused by nutritional issues, worms, piles, malaria and other infections and that dizziness, fatigue and red beefy tongue are some of the symptoms of anaemia.

Mrs Eleanora Portia Baffour-Agyei, Executive Director of CePaCE, appealed to financial institutions, cooperate bodies and all stakeholders to support the centre financially to promote a healthier pregnancy among women.

CePaCE is an organisation, which provides information on healthy birth and child care practices, creating awareness among women and their families on trends and practices that have dire consequences on the mother and child, and bringing together expectant mothers to share ideas and experiences in childbirth and child health.

The centre offered a free medical screening on Malaria and Anaemia for the participants at the seminar.

Source: GNA