{"id":22838,"date":"2022-04-25T09:22:22","date_gmt":"2022-04-25T09:22:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ndarason.com\/?p=22838"},"modified":"2022-11-15T10:52:29","modified_gmt":"2022-11-15T09:52:29","slug":"scorching-temperatures-play-havoc-on-health-of-pregnant-women-and-breastfeeding-mothers-especially-during-ramadan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ndarason.com\/en\/scorching-temperatures-play-havoc-on-health-of-pregnant-women-and-breastfeeding-mothers-especially-during-ramadan\/","title":{"rendered":"Scorching temperatures play havoc on health of pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers, especially during Ramadan"},"content":{"rendered":"

With temperatures ranging from the low to mid 40s in Maiduguri, just about everyone \u2013 especially during the holy fasting month of Ramadan \u2013 is suffering from dehydration but most at risk are pregnant and breastfeeding mothers.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Extreme heat increases the likelihood of hospitalisation during pregnancy and hypertension during childbirth. For infants, the risks include dehydration at birth and being hospitalised in the first year of life.<\/p>\n

Black mothers are especially vulnerable, according to a working paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research, titled What to Expect When It Gets Hotter: The Impacts of Prenatal Exposure to Extreme Heat on Maternal and Infant Health.<\/p>\n

Symptoms of overheating or heat exhaustion include a cool, moist skin with goose bumps when in the heat, headache, dizziness, faintness, fatigue, weak\/rapid pulse, low blood pressure upon standing, muscle cramps and nausea, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pregnant women whose body temperature is above 39\u00b0C are at greater risk of heat stroke, heat exhaustion and dehydration.<\/p>\n

Climate change and global warming, especially in the Lake Chad region, as well as other parts of sub-Sahara Africa are expected to cause more frequent and severe extreme heat events, which could lead to dehydration and renal (kidney) failure in pregnant women.<\/p>\n

Dehydration early in pregnancy can affect the baby\u2019s growth and, later, can cause pre-term birth.<\/p>\n

In Maiduguri, the temperatures have been hovering between 40\u00b0C and 45\u00b0C, putting pregnant women, especially during Ramadan when they are fasting, at risk. During pregnancy, the body has to work harder to cool down both the woman\u2019s body and that of the foetus.<\/p>\n

Although exempt, many pregnant women partake in the fast during the daylight hours during Ramadan.<\/p>\n

Pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers told RNI how they were coping with the blazing heat, coupled with fasting.<\/p>\n

Halima Ali said: \u201cWe thank God for this Ramadan, the only problem is the extreme heat. Sometimes, you have to stop the fasting because of the scorching sun and lack of electricity. The Islamic religion permits pregnant women to stop fasting but most of us try to fast unless we encounter difficulties.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I struggle, I usually go to hospital for a check-up and proper treatment. The doctors usually advise me to eat nutritious food and continue to take prescribed drugs or medicines.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHonestly, it\u2019s not easy for pregnant women to fast and work, cooking and keeping the house clean, when it is so hot. I often ask my younger sister to help me to do the housework because I can\u2019t. Even women who aren\u2019t pregnant and other people struggle in this heat,\u201d Amina Goni Mohammed said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhenever we go to a hospital, the doctors advise us to stay at home and tell us we shouldn\u2019t work under this hot sun. The doctors tell us to adhere to their advice because the heat could affect our health and that of the unborn child.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hajja Yana Alhaji Modu, the head of Maiduguri\u2019s Yerwa Clinic, told RNI that pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers should visit hospital regularly, stick to medical tips and suspend all kind of work or things that will harm them in this extreme weather, especially during Ramadan.<\/p>\n

\u201cFasting in this harsh heat without electricity is a challenge for all people, not only pregnant women or breastfeeding mothers. That\u2019s why I encourage them not to fast if they don\u2019t have the strength. Islam allows people who are ill not to fast. In this heat, it can harm pregnant and breastfeeding women.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf these women want to fast, they should always be careful and protect themselves by staying indoors and not exposing themselves to the scorching sun. They should always eat nutritious food and drink a lot of water. This will help to keep their bodies strong and healthy, including their infants and unborn child.<\/p>\n

\u201cGoing to hospital for regular medical check-ups is very important, because it will help to identify hypertension, malaria and other diseases. If found, they will receive proper treatment that will protect them, their little babies and their unborn child.\u201d<\/p>\n

Modu said some pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers were risking their lives by collecting alms, such as rice and sugar. Others were forced to beg on the streets because of poverty.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnfortunately, I know of two women who collapsed and died doing these activities. Many women who are poor rush to get things that are free. They go out into the hot sun to get alms without realising they could harm themselves, their unborn child, as well as their infants.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes women struggle because they are neglected by their husbands. Men need to support their wives, not shun or neglect them.\u201d<\/p>\n

She said mothers should use mosquito nets \u2013 insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) \u2013 to protect themselves and their children from mosquito bites that causes malaria.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost hospitals provide mosquito nets for pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers. But the problem is that some of them sell the nets for \u20a6400 or \u20a6500, without realising their importance. I urge all pregnant women and mothers to use the nets, especially during this hot weather when they often sleep outside because of the excessive heat. This will protect them and their babies.\u201d<\/p>\n