The Healthy Pregnant Movement and Efforts to Prevent Stunting Since Pregnancy

Bumisuka.com – The Healthy Pregnant Movement and Efforts to Prevent Stunting Since Pregnancy. Stunting is a health problem that is the focus of the government. This is because stunting is said to be a problem that can threaten Indonesia’s future generations. Therefore, the Ministry of Health is intensifying various efforts to reduce stunting cases in Indonesia.

The problem of stunting can be prevented, one of which is through the movement for healthy pregnant women. Here’s an explanation.

1. What is stunting?

Quoting the explanation from the Directorate General of Health Services at the Ministry of Health, stunting according to WHO is low height compared to age below minus 2 standard deviations (SD) on the WHO growth curve. This occurs due to lack of nutritional intake or experiencing recurrent infections that occur in the first 1000 days of life.

Stunted children look shorter than their age. However, not all short toddlers are stunted. Adding to the explanation on the page of the Directorate of Health Promotion and Community Empowerment of the Ministry of Health, the difference between healthy toddlers and stunting is not only visible from shorter height, but also brain development. Children who are stunted have poor brain development and can have long-term impacts.

2. Efforts to reduce stunting in Indonesia

The government is targeting a reduction in the stunting rate in Indonesia, one of which is through the movement for healthy pregnant women. This effort is a specific intervention to prevent stunting before birth.

The government is targeting a reduction in the stunting rate by 14 percent by 2024. The government has also set 12 priority provinces for stunting reduction where the prevalence or number of stunting is high. In detail, the five provinces with the highest number of stunting cases are West Java, East Java, Central Java, North Sumatra and Banten. Meanwhile, the seven provinces with the highest prevalence of stunting are East Nusa Tenggara, West Sulawesi, Aceh, West Nusa Tenggara, Southeast Sulawesi, South Kalimantan and West Kalimantan. This was conveyed in the Media Briefing: #BumilSehat National Movement which was broadcast on the Ministry of Health’s YouTube channel.

3. Stunting interventions are carried out before and after birth

Stunting interventions include interventions performed before birth and interventions after birth. Specific interventions before birth are carried out since young women, while interventions after birth are carried out on toddlers.

The 2018 Riskesdas data shows that 23 percent of babies born in Indonesia are stunted. This condition is influenced by various factors, including the nutritional condition of pregnant women since adolescence, including anemia that occurs in pregnant women and young women. Therefore, interventions to prevent stunting need to be done before the baby is born.

After birth, the stunting rate increased significantly at the age of 6 to 23 months by 1.8 times to 37 percent. The stunting condition is caused by a lack of animal protein intake in complementary foods for breast milk and improper parenting patterns.

4. Health problems of pregnant women and children contribute to stunting

Based on Riskesdas 2018 data, as many as 48.9 percent of pregnant women experience anemia. In addition to anemia, as many as 17.3 percent of pregnant women experience Chronic Energy Deficiency (KEK). As many as 28 percent of pregnant women are at risk of experiencing labor complications that can cause death. This condition can be prevented through the movement of healthy pregnant women.

Interventions carried out to overcome stunting with the target of pregnant women are:

• Pregnant women get and consume iron tablets during pregnancy.
• Pregnant women eat food according to recommendations.
• Malnourished pregnant women get additional nutritional intake.

5. Healthy pregnant women movement campaign

The campaign for the movement for healthy pregnant women will be carried out from 14 December to 22 December 2022. It is hoped that the campaign for the healthy pregnant women movement will be carried out simultaneously in 10,000 health centers and other health services. Apart from that, it is hoped that 1,000 public places, including places where pregnant women work, will also support the healthy pregnant women movement.

The target of the campaign is pregnant women, through:

• Examination of pregnant women at least 6 times during pregnancy, including 2 times with a doctor and ultrasound.
• Festive Class for Pregnant Women (eating together, taking iron tablets, and family or husband support).
• Appreciation and support for healthy pregnant women.

The problem of stunting can be prevented, both before and after birth. The movement for healthy pregnant women is a specific intervention to prevent prenatal stunting. The healthy pregnant women movement is a campaign to invite pregnant women to routine health checks, consume healthy nutritious food, and take blood-boosting tablets to prevent anemia.