90-day feeding program for pregnant moms launched

CEBU, Philippines — The National Nutrition Council (NNC) in Central Visayas recently launched the “Tutok Kainan Supplementation Program,” a 90-day feeding program.

NNC-7 regional nutrition program coordinator Parolita Mission said the program is especially designed for women, who most often are neglected or put on the sideline especially in this time of the pandemic, to improve their nutritional state.

The Tutok Kainan’s pilot beneficiaries include pregnant women, especially those teenage pregnant women, anemic, and with low body mass index, in Cebu and other parts of the region.

Mothers enrolled in the program are encouraged to continue until the next 90 days and actively participate during the nutrition education.

The program, Mission said, also aims to prevent stunting, which occurs when a child does not receive proper nutrition during the first 1000 days of life, among children 0-23 months old.

Mission said this is done by improving the quality and quantity of food and nutrient intakes and utilization of related Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) for the First 1000 Days (F1KD) services among nutritionally at-risk pregnant women and children 6-23 months old in the target program areas.

Mission added that this program also intends to provide the platform for educating mothers on desirable complementary feeding practices and promoting local food supply value chain between the national government program “TutoK Kainan” and the local agrarian reform beneficiary organizations, sustainable livelihood program associations and farmer-fisherfolk cooperatives.

The feeding program will last for 90 days wherein the enhanced nutri bun from the DOST-FNRI alternated with other food commodities with the same nutrient content will be given in the first month and followed by the wet feeding for the next two months.

Complementary activities like nutrition education will also be done to enlighten mothers on the importance of nutrition especially in the first 1000 days of life.

“It should become an integral part of a mothers’ pregnancy journey to increase their knowledge of nutrition and provide healthier options for caring for their babies,” Mission said.

She further said this is the service or “Serbisyo para kay Juana” offered by NNC and local government units as direct service to pregnant women as a form of appreciation for women’s various contribution in the society.

This is also NNC 7’s contribution to help make the National Women’s Month celebration more known and felt by “every Juana.” — KQD (FREEMAN)