How many Antenatal care (ANC) visits or check-up should be there in pregnancy ?

There should be at least 4 ANC visits in the pregnancy at 16 weeks, 24-28 weeks, 32 weeks and 36 weeks of pregnancy.

How many Antenatal care (ANC) visits or check-up should be there in pregnancy ?

There should be at least 4 ANC visits in the pregnancy at 16 weeks, 24-28 weeks, 32 weeks and 36 weeks of pregnancy.

What all is done in ANC visit ?

During the ANC visits following activities are done –

1. Issue of Iron folic acid tablets
2. Physical check up
3. 2 doses of TT vaccine
4. Health and nutrition counselling
5. Checking of B.P, Hb, urine and abdomen

How many IFA tablets do the pregnant women need to consume during pregnancy ?

During pregnancy it is recommended to consume about 100 IFA tablets as per the guidance of the doctor. In case if the women is anemic then the number can change.

What should be the minimum gap between two pregnancies ?

Ideal spacing period as per the government guidelines is 3 years between two pregnancies. This is beneficial for the mother as well as for both the children.

What is clostrum?

Clostrum is the yellow milk produced at the time of birth. It is very important for the child and should be fed. It serves as the first vaccine for the child.

When is a child considered as low birth weight baby ?

At the time of birth if the weight of the child is below 2.5 kgs then he/she is considered to be of low birth weight.

When is the right time for initiation of breast feeding ?

Immediately after the birth of the child to first hour of its life is the time when breast feeding should be initiated. It should be kept in mind that in the first 6 months the child should be only breast fed and nothing else apart from it.

How many times should the infant be breast fed in 24 hours ?

A child should be fed 6-8 times during the day and 3-4 times during the night.

How to check if the breast milk is sufficient for the child below 6 months of age ?

If the baby urinates 6-8 times or more in 24 hours and gains more than 500 gm of weight every month then the breast milk being fed is sufficient.

Is it necessary to wash the breast every time before feeding the child ?

If the baby urinates 6-8 times or more in 24 hours and gains more than 500 gm of weight every month then the breast milk being fed is sufficient.

What are good sources of iron ?

Foods such as Chicken, fish, pulses and especially green leafy vegetables are good source of iron. An important point to be kept in mind is that do not consume them with milk or milk products as then the iron in them is not absorbed as the calcium in milk forms a chelate and does not allow body to absorb either iron or calcium.

What are good sources of vitamin A ?

Yellow foods such as pumpkin, carrot, mango, tomato and papaya are good source of vitamin A. A prejudice against papaya is often seen, if cooked it is not harmful for the mother. So eat cooked papaya.

How can we increase the energy content of the food at home with easy methods ?

This can be done by adding oil, ghee, sugar, jaggery or ground nut in the food.

Why is Vitamin A important for my child ?

Vitamin A is essential for a child as it improves the immunity and strengthens the visual system.

What is diarrhea ?

When a child passes loose or watery stools 3 or more times a day then it is considered to be diarrhea. To prevent any complications to child due to diarrhea after the first loose stool start feeding the child ORS.