Page 186 - Health, Population and Environment Education 10

v. Immediate check up: At the time of emergency in the case of complication
2. To be safe from tetanus, two dose of TT (Tetanus toxoid) injection should be
administrated to the pregnant woman.
The first dose should be given at the time of the first check up and the second dose
should be administrated between the first month to the ninth month of pregnancy.
3. Nutritious diet should be taken by the pregnant woman. She should increase the
amount as the foetus grows. A pregnant woman should take the foods rich in
carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals. She should consume more fruits
and vegetables, milk, meat, fish, eggs, etc.
4. A pregnant woman should not carry heavy loads.
5. A pregnant woman should not consume tobacco, alcohol and other narcotics.

6. A pregnant woman should maintain personal hygiene.
7. A pregnant mother should not consume junk foods and stale foods.
8. A pregnant woman should not eat too much food and have an adequate sleep.
9. Family members should take proper care of a pregnant woman.

Risk Factors of Pregnancy
The pregnancy of a woman becomes risky under the following conditions.

1. If the age of the pregnant woman is less than 18 years and more than 35 years

Females need to conceive at the appropriate age. They can become more fertile from
20 years to 30 years. It is better to conceive at the age of (20 to 30) years. There is no
proper development of reproductive organs below 18 years of age in females. There can
be improper development of foetus as well as several health consequences might take
place in females., After 35 years of age, there is retardation in physical activity and power
of females. Pregnancy after 35 years might cause various healh complications for both
mother and child. Hence, females need to avoid pregnancy before 18 years and after 35
years.

2. If the weight of the pregnant woman is less than 40 kg and height less than 145 cm
Females should be healthy enough to bear a child and should gain optimum weight
during pregnancy. Females are not said to be healthy when their weight is below 40
kg. Generally, females having weight below 40 kg are malnourished and the growing
foetus can not have proper nutrition from them. In that condition, foetus has several
abnormalities and other health consequences. Similarly, females having height less than
145 cm have improper development of reproductive organs like uterus, vagina, etc. even
they are small in size as well. There can be several complications during pregnancy and
delivery time. Hence, such females can not deliver a healthy baby and their pregnancy
becomes very risky.

186 GREEN Health, Population and Environment Education Book-10