A study on nutritional status of pregnant women of rural area in ramanathapuram district, Tamil nadu

Pregnant women have been widely recognized as a vulnerable group from health point of view. They need more food than normal person for the proper nourishment of the growing fetus. A total of hundred pregnant women who were in their third trimester were selected for the study. The samples were selected from hospitals like Government Hospital, Kanagamani clinic, Fathima chinnathurai clinic, Abdulla clinic and Ravi Rajendran clinic which have facility for maternal and child care. Information regarding socioeconomic background, anthropometric measurements, clinical Assessment, food consumption pattern was collected. Among the selected samples only 18% were illiterates, rest were literates. All the 100 selected samples preferred allopathic type of medication for treating the discomforts the clinical examination revealed that eighty percent of the sample had healthy appearance and rest 20% had unhealthy appearance. Majority (60%) had normal eyes, 35% of the sample had slight discolourations in their eyes, and only 5% had severe discolouration. It might be due to the poor intake of diet deficient in Vitamine A, protein, fat and energy. The hemoglobin level in blood of majority of the samples was below normal. Based upon the analysis the study finally emphasizes that the pregnant women are poorly nourished and their nutritional status is also very poor.