01 Sep 2010
After delivery, the midwife asked the Chinese mother if she wanted to keep the baby’s placenta. The reason? Some Chinese mothers take the placenta home to eat during their “confinement”.
While this practice – documented in Cultural Journeys, a book by SingHealth nurses – is among the more unusual, it is common for Asians to “confine” new mothers after a strength-sapping delivery.
They stay home for as long as a month and are given tonics and other special food believed to boost their recovery and increase lactation.
Both Malay and Chinese mothers take plenty of herbal concoctions during their confinement. Chicken features strongly in Asian cultures because it is believed to be especially nutritious. Myanmar people eat roast chicken or chicken broth.
Non-vegetarian Hindus and Indians also favour chicken, considering it a “hot” food good for recovery.
They also believe roasted garlic increases milk production.
Mothers-to-be are inundated with advice on what to eat and what to avoid. Pregnant Hindus cut down on milk and high-protein food to avoid an overly large baby – and a difficult birth. Filipinos abstain from coffee and other “black” food to have fair-skinned babies.
But, said Madam Koay Saw Lan, Head, Department of Dietetics and Nutrition Services, Singapore General Hospital (SGH):
“Skin colour is genetic. No food can change the genetic makeup of the child.”
While such practices are rooted in the knowledge that good nutrition is important during and after pregnancy, traditional diets may be inadequate or even harmful.
Indeed, said Mdm Koay, many pregnant mothers are found to be lacking in calcium, folic acid, iron and zinc – important nutrients for the healthy development of the foetus.
“Women need more vitamin C and folic acid when they’re pregnant. The recommended daily intake of folic acid doubles during pregnancy because it’s essential for the development of new cells,” said Mdm Koay. Folic acid is a vitamin that is found mostly in leafy green vegetables, salmon and orange juice.
Studies have shown that pregnant women who consume adequate amounts of folic acid can significantly reduce their babies’ risk of being born with birth defects.
Mothers-to-be need just 300kcal more than non-pregnant women, achieved by eating one extra serving from each of the five food groups daily, said Mdm Koay. “Quality, rather than the quantity, is more important,” she said.
Women with dietary restrictions have to pay particular attention to what they eat.
Pregnant or breastfeeding vegetarians need to eat “quality protein and reliable sources of vitamin B12”, said Mdm Koay.
She added that it is essential for vegetarians to use a supplement, and add fortified food, dairy products or eggs to their diets to meet the recommended daily intake of vitamin B12, vitamin D, calcium, zinc, iron and omega-3 fatty acids. Vegetarians who don’t include eggs or dairy products in their diets may want to consult a qualified dietitian.
It is equally important that women know what to avoid. Alcohol, for instance, should not be consumed by pregnant women as it is associated with major neurological and developmental birth defects, said Mdm Koay, adding that “even moderate drinking during pregnancy can have behavioural or developmental consequences”.
Caffeine and food high in fat and sugar should also be avoided, said Mdm Koay.
She advised against consuming herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine as insufficient research has been done on their possible effects.
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