UNAIR NEWS – Stunting is a public health problem with a high prevalence in Indonesia. For prevention, a lecturer of Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Public Health (FKM) Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) Prof. Dr. Sri Sumarmi said that it must be done before marriage.
“Actually, for the principle to prevent stunting, it must be prepared before pregnancy,” stated Sri Sumarmi ” Golden Period, First 1000 Days of Life ” on Saturday, November 2, 2019 at Airlangga Convention Center Building, UNAIR.
Future brides, she said, must be given an understanding to prepare for pregnancy early, from improving nutrition before pregnancy to preparing the psychological aspect.
“The bride and groom must be well-prepared. So, before you get pregnant improve your nutrition, prepare psychologically and gain more knowledge about pregnancy, ” she added.
At the event, she explained the importance of early stages of pregnancy in determining fetal growth in the womb.
“Many failures occur during the process of implantation, the attachment of the fetus to the uterus. That is why I emphasize that we must be prepared before pregnancy because the implantation process cannot be managed if the target is pregnant women, the target must be the future bride and groom, “explained Prof. Sri Sumarmi.
The implantation process will then form the placenta, she added. The placenta plays a role in delivering food to the fetus.
“If the placenta does not develop properly, or it is small, even though the mother eats a lot, the food will only accumulate into fat, but not transferred to the fetus. Well, one of the causes of stunting, the growth in the womb is stunted due to insufficient nutritional intake, ” she explained.
In this regard, early intervention with micronutrients needs to be fulfilled. Not necessarily from supplements, foods containing essential vitamins and minerals to meet nutritional needs can also be used.
“Micronutrients can be obtained from food containing vitamins and minerals. For early pregnancy, the most important is Zinc. Zinc-rich foods are clams, fresh meat. But pregnant women often stay away from clams, ” she said.
To the bride and groom attending the talkshow, Prof. Sri Sumarmi encouraged preparation is made for First 1,000 Days of Life which began from conception until the child was two years old.
“So, it’s better to be prepared since before marriage. What needs to be prepared? First 1,000 Days of Lifee is an important period for babies born to grow well, ” she stated. (*)
Author: Lailatul Fitriani
Editor: Feri Fenoria
