ANAEMIA, EXPECTANT MOTHERS AND DIETARY HABITS: ISSUES AND CONCERNS

The problem of anaemia among expectant mothers, instead of declining has increased over the years at the all India level and also in almost all the states of the country though differentially. These revelations come from the comparative analysis of the NFHS- 4 and NFHS- 5 data on anaemia released in the year 2000 and 2022 respectively. A review of the studies attributes the problem to inadequate nutritious food available to the expectant mothers during the period of pregnancy when the need of the body for iron and calcium increases for the proper growth of the foetus. In the absence of which the women are unable to bear the pressures of bleeding in the pre and post delivery period, leading to low weight baby birth and premature births, and at times resulting in high maternal mortality. This paper examines the status of anaemia among expectant mothers and its relationship with dietary habits.