Pregnant and lactating women may fast after proper advice

Carelessness may cause complications

Rawalpindi

Pregnant and lactating women may fast during the holy month of Ramazan if they are not having any complications however they should take advice from their physicians as a little carelessness may cause serious complications for both the mother and the baby.

Data collected by ‘The News’ has revealed that almost all healthcare facilities including the three allied hospitals, private hospitals and clinics in town have been receiving significant influx of pregnant and lactating women with complications in result of fasting without proper advice from qualified doctors.

The number of cases of pregnant women with complications including urinary tract infections (UTIs) has increased within the first week of Ramazan and according to health experts, it is mainly because of improper diet taken by them at the time of ‘Sehar’ and ‘Iftar’.

In majority of cases, complications occur when pregnant and lactating women do not take advice from qualified doctors while opting for fasting, said Dean of the Faculty of Gynecology and Obstetrics at Rawalpindi Medical University Professor Rizwana Chaudhry while talking to ‘The News’ on Friday.

She said that pregnant and lactating women may fast in case they are not facing any complications or infection and if they are medically fit. However, she added that pregnant and lactating women must consult a qualified doctor before opting for fasting in Ramazan in extreme hot weather conditions like the existing one to avoid complications in future.

The pregnant women having diseases like diabetes or renal infection should not fast without prior advice from a doctor. 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, said Professor Rizwana.

She said that pregnant and lactating mothers need extra care for diet while going for fasting in the existing hot weather conditions that make pregnant women more vulnerable to dehydration and urinary tract infections if they do not care on diet while fasting.

If a pregnant woman is unable to have adequate food and fluids at the time of ‘Sehar’ and ‘Iftar’ while fasting, 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 pregnant women must consult with a qualified doctor while going for fasting, said Professor Rizwana.

Because of extremely hot weather conditions, pregnant women may suffer from dehydration that subsequently increases chances of infections in them and the condition may lead to kidney problems. The occurrence of kidney problems among pregnant women may cause severe complications, she said.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common in pregnant women and to avoid them, they should avoid dehydration, she said.

It is important that dehydration in pregnant women may cause DVT (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 ‘Sehar’ and ‘Iftar’, explained Professor Rizwana.

She suggested that a pregnant or lactating woman, while fasting, should take at least three glasses full of water at the time of ‘Sehar’ to avoid dehydration. Likewise, she should take plenty of fluids at the time of ‘Iftar’ and after, before going to bed.

She further explained that majority of 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, she said.

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

Talking of diet, Professor Rizwana said pregnant or lactating women should eat high protein food including A class proteins found in fish, meat and chicken and B class proteins found in pulses and eggs while fasting. However a pregnant woman who is overweight should strictly avoid fats and carbohydrates as being overweight causes complications at the time of birth of the baby, said Professor Rizwana.

If a woman is unable to take sufficient quantity of food and fluids at the time of ‘Sehar’ because of being incapable of taking big meal at one time, she should quit fasting during pregnancy, said Professor Rizwana.