JAKARTA - Maintaining the right calorie intake during pregnancy has an important role in supporting fetal growth and health.

At least this is said by an obstetric and gynecologist specialist who graduated from the University of Indonesia, dr. Muhammad Fadli, Sp.OG, explained that the lack of calories can increase the risk of infants being born with low weight or experiencing growth barriers.

"If calorie intake is not sufficient, it is likely that babies will have small birth weight or experience barriers to fetal growth," said dr. Fadli as quoted by ANTARA.

According to dr. Fadli, the ideal weight gain for pregnant women with a normal body mass index (BMI) is around 12-16 kilograms during nine months of pregnancy. In the first trimester, pregnant women do not need additional calories, so daily calorie intake can remain the same as before pregnancy.

However, the need for calories increased in the second trimester, which is after the gestational age has passed 14 weeks. Pregnant women are recommended to add about 400 calories per day to support optimal fetal growth. Entering the third trimester, the calorie requirement increases to around 500 calories per day to meet the needs of more intensive fetal development.

Adjustments to the addition of calories need to be adjusted to BMI pregnant women to prevent excessive weight gain, which can also affect the health of mothers and babies.

In addition to maintaining calorie intake, dr. Fadli emphasized the importance of routine ultrasonic examination (USG) to monitor fetal development. This examination includes estimated fetal weight, head measurements, belly circumference, thigh circumference, and ideal fetal weight gains ranging from 1.5 ounces per week. The active movement of the fetus is also an important indicator of the health of the womb.

"We can find out if babies have stunted growth if growth percent is below 10 percent. On the other hand, babies are considered large if the growth percentage is more than 90 percent," he explained.

Using ultrasound, doctors can also monitor the flow of blood, the amount of flaring fluid, and fetal movement. If the fetus shows less active movement, this can be a sign of disturbances in the placenta, blood flow, or possible hypoglycemia in the baby due to lack of sugar intake.

Healthy pregnancy can be characterized by active fetal movement and growth according to pregnancy age. Therefore, routine monitoring and meeting the right calorie needs are essential steps to ensure the welfare of mothers and babies.


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