Pregnant and lactating women need proper advice while fasting

Rawalpindi:Pregnant and lactating women, if not having any complications, may fast during the holy month of Ramazan however they should take proper advice from their physicians while opting for a month-long fasting as a little carelessness may cause serious complications for both the mother and the baby.

Data collected by ‘The News’ has revealed that every year in Ramazan, both the public and private sector healthcare facilities including the three allied hospitals in town receive a significantly higher influx of pregnant and lactating women with complications.

Experts say that the number of cases of pregnant women with complications particularly urinary tract infections (UTIs) registers an increase in Ramazan and it happens mainly because majority of the pregnant women opt for fasting without proper advice from qualified doctors about their diet at the time of ‘Sehr’ and ‘Iftar’. In majority of the cases, complications occur when pregnant and lactating women do not take care of their diet while opting for fasting.

Experts say that pregnant and lactating women may fast in case they are not facing any complications or infection and if they are medically fit. The pregnant women having diseases like diabetes or renal infections should not fast without prior advice from their physicians.

It is observed that even medically fit pregnant and lactating women can have complications if they do not take proper food and fluids while fasting during Ramazan. Pregnant and lactating mothers become more vulnerable to dehydration and urinary tract infections if they do not take care in their diet while fasting.

According to experts, if a pregnant woman while fasting is unable to have adequate food and fluids at the time of ‘Sehr’, ‘Iftar’ and in between, her baby (fetus) may face severe growth retardation. Initially the fetus growth seems normal but with the passage of time, it might decline and that is why it is recommended that a pregnant woman must consult with a qualified doctor while opting for fasting.

It is important that the majority of pregnant women in the first trimester (first three months of pregnancy) face problems of nausea and vomiting and they become unable to take plenty of food and fluids, which is necessary for fasting. The pregnant women in the first trimester – if having complaints of vomiting and nausea – could not fast but if they are not feeling too much nausea and can take sufficient diet, they may fast.

In the second or third trimester, according to experts, the majority of pregnant women can fast but with a condition that they are able to take proper food and fluids. A pregnant woman needs at least three litres of water daily and if she can have that along with sufficient food, she may fast.

It is important that UTIs are common in pregnant women and to avoid these, they must avoid dehydration. Dehydration subsequently increases the chances of infections among pregnant women and the condition may lead to kidney problems. The occurrence of kidney problems among pregnant women may cause severe complications.

Dehydration in pregnant women may cause Deep Venous Thrombosis in which blood starts clotting in the blood vessels and the clots may travel directly to heart causing sudden death so pregnant mothers while fasting should take sufficient quantity of water at the time of ‘Sehr’ and ‘Iftar’. Experts say that a pregnant or lactating woman, while fasting, should take plenty of fluids at the time of ‘Sehr’, ‘Iftar’ and after, before going to bed.