Nutrition for pregnant women/ interview with Mathieu Kponou Tobossi, specialist in food hygiene and quality

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Extract from the article: Pregnant women must pay particular attention to their diet. Her health, that of her baby and her growth are at stake, which is why nutrition specialists recommend balanced meals (proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals). According to M

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« Pregnant women need to be able to eat four balanced meals a day... at the same time as eating a balanced diet, they need to treat themselves to energetic meals »

Pregnant women must pay particular attention to their diet. Her health, that of her baby and her growth are at stake, which is why nutrition specialists recommend balanced meals (proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals). According to Mathieu Kponou Tobossi, Specialist in Food Hygiene and Quality and Dietetic Therapist, women have nothing to fear. It's possible to eat a balanced diet, whatever your social class.

Santé-Education: What is your analysis of nutrition during pregnancy in Togo?

Mahieu Tobossi: Pregnant women live as if they weren't pregnant. This doesn't have to be the case. Her eating style needs to change, and so does her food hygiene. They need special attention. This is linked to the social level of these women. They don't really change their eating habits. A pregnant woman maintains many physiological mechanisms. Not only does she put on weight, she feeds two or even three people, but above all she draws on her organic reserves. As the supply of nutrients depends on her, her eating habits also have an impact on the child's vitality.

We have to be very careful. Lifestyle must adapt to the evolution of pregnancy, from the first trimester to the last, because the child lives, feeds, breathes and also eliminates waste.

What are the best foods to eat in this condition?

A normal person needs to eat a balanced diet, with a little of everything. Pregnant women, on the other hand, need to eat well-balanced, high-energy meals. Around 200 to 300 extra calories, depending on the stage of pregnancy. Her plate should include most foods (vegetables, carbohydrates, fats, proteins and fruit). A balanced dish is one that is divided into 4: 1/2 is fruit, 1/4 carbohydrates (rice, tubers, foufous) and 1/4 protein. It must have oil, but of good quality. This is what we call a balanced dish.

Carbohydrates must be rich in dietary fiber, because a pregnant woman needs to digest and evacuate waste easily.  So she shouldn't be constipated, and dietary fiber fights indigestion. In terms of protein, she should opt for meat, fish, boiled eggs and shellfish.

The latter also provide haem iron, which is more easily absorbed (compared to non-haem iron from plants) to avoid anaemia.  As for lipids rich in omega-3s, particularly those found in fish, soya and mackerel are good-quality fats.  They facilitate the development of the child's brain, increase cognitive capacity and improve eyesight.

Last but not least, fruit provides vitamins and minerals that stimulate bio-digestion and the digestion of food. They also stimulate the immune mechanisms that protect women against certain diseases.

What are the consequences for women who don't follow these recommendations?

When a pregnant woman doesn't eat a normal, balanced diet, her health can suffer, and in turn that of the fetus(es). When she doesn't have a good score for dietary diversity and balance, fetal mass is affected. This can lead to low birth weight (2 kg or less in some cases) or premature delivery.

Pregnant women also sometimes have specific cravings. They consume sweet, salty foods and alcohol, with vital risks for fetal growth. Very often, they affect the child's behavior at birth.

Alcohol is ethanol, which is obviously addictive for women. She'll feel full, when in fact she hasn't consumed the right amount of nutrients. 1 gram of alcohol gives around 7 kilocalories, while 1 gram of carbohydrate gives 4 kilocalories, so twice as much energy to the pregnant woman. This feeling of satiety is bound to create deficiencies in the child.

Is hypertension in pregnant women caused by diet? 

Pregnant women can be subject to several types of malnutrition. Hypertension can be due to diet, because there are many causes, including stress, oppression and depression.

If it's due to diet, it's due to eating habits. You see, we often restrict or even deprive women of salt, because salt is a dietary factor in hypertension. This is not a pleasant phenomenon for pregnant women. To avoid it, you need to eat healthily, control your diet and reduce salt. There are other pathologies too, such as diabetes mellitus, which can be a source of foetal problems. That's why we recommend eating properly, so that weight gain remains normal right up to the end. For a woman who has followed these dietary guidelines, her extra weight will not exceed 12 kg at the end of her pregnancy, and she will be able to quickly return to her ideal body mass index.

Your final word

Nutrition is a universal science. The science that enables man to meet his vital dietary needs. The needs of a pregnant woman are greater than those of any other woman. She must be able to eat four balanced meals a day. Today, it's possible to eat a balanced diet at lower cost. When you can't afford it, you have to eat what's available. They're not too expensive.  A balanced breakfast can consist of a cereal product - bread, millet, fonio, corn - a dairy product and a beverage. Under no circumstances should she miss a normal lunch, which provides around 55% of her energy intake. She should have at least one snack at 4 p.m., (a dairy or cereal product) as required, and the evening meal.

She needs to drink a lot to stay well hydrated. At least 2 to 3 liters of water a day. This is the minimum. Pregnant women should avoid smoking and drinking alcohol. She must limit salt consumption or take iodized salt. She must be active, do gentle but regular physical exercise, and be monitored by a gynecologist or midwife.

Interview by William O.