A Health Program for Pregnant Nigerian Women Les

Lesson I. Preparing for a healthy baby--Preconceptual care

-- Risk assessment, health promotion, and intervention.

I. Extreme obesity or anorexia, advanced maternal age, unusual diets, economic status. This is the time for correction.

A. Women under age 19 and women over 44 have a higher percentage of pathological pregnancies.

B. Pregnancies very close together or very far apart are also at increased risk.

II. Health habits: smoking, drugs, and alcohol use

III. General medical condition: immunities, medications, genetic background, acute and chronic diseases

A. Presence of family history of diabetes, multiple pregnancies or congenital abnormalities; family history of fetal anomaly, Down syndrome, neural tube defects, hemophilia, or mental retardation.

B. Screening for sickle cell disease

C. In the mother herself is there anemia, urinary tract infection, or hypothyroidism before pregnancy? Past surgery or infectious disease?

D. Rubella test or immunization, blood studies for Rh type, screening for irregular antibodies, hemoglobin level, and venereal disease (Herpes, H.I.V.

IV. Barriers to family planning or early prenatal care: finances, demanding work, or marital discord. Note: Research shows that if there is a tendency toward wife battering, it increases during pregnancy.

A. Mineral analysis and cholesterol level

. . .
nd actually used by the Nigerian women. A. Purpose of fats (to supply bodily energy in a concentrated form). Extra unneeded fat gets stored as bodily fat and can lead to being unnecessarily overweight. Mention medical doctors' ideas on the proper amount of weight for most women to gain during a normal pregnancy--22 to 26 pounds above their normal weight (Soman, 1982, p. 47). Seriously underweight are encouraged to gain about 30 pounds and obese women are encouraged not to diet until after the birth of the baby. B. Examples of foods in the fats group 1. salad dressings, mayonnaise 2. animal fats, bacon 3. butter, lard, margarine, vegetable oil 4. creamy cheeses (Milinaire, 1974, p. 66) 5. cream 6. chicken fat and fish oils (La Leche League International, 1983, p. 200). C. On a table near the door of the room where the group will leave the lecture, have on display actual foods that fall into the fats group. Make it attractive, using foods that the women know and a large sign saying, "Use sparingly." Lesson VI. Proteins I. Show the food pyramid visual emphasizing the proportion of the protein group and where it is situated in terms of importance. Good quality protein is crucial in the building of the body
. . .

Some common words found in the essay are:
VI Proteins, Lesson Fats, Lesson IX, Pyramid Explain, II Special, Soyalac Herb, II Health, II Addiction, Exercise Bring, Habits Participatory, nigerian women, food pyramid, foods familiar, actual foods, huggins 1990, milinaire 1974, soman 1982, herb teas, milk products, milk milk, league international 1983, soman 1982 46, milk milk products, actual foods fall, leche league international,
Approximate Word count = 2471
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page)