A GNA Feature by Yaw Ansah
Accra, Oct. 16, GNA - Middle age Elvina Opoku was at blink of losing her much-needed unborn baby to save her marriage due to anaemia. Apart from the foetus, her life was also on the line. On that fateful Tuesday, she woke up to prepare for work but instantly begun to feel dizzy, weak and experienced rapid heartbeat.
At a scream of “goodness”, her husband Mr Elvis Opoku’s attention was attracted and rushed to help Elvina to site down. He prepared and transported her to the hospital.
Further checks revealed that her blood level was nine gramme per decilitre, which Madam Dorcas Asante, a nutritionist at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (GARH) in an interview with the Ghana News Agency describes Elvina’s blood level as very low.
However, a Turkey Berry popularly known as “Kwahunosoa”, Therapy, formulated by the nutrition team of the hospital saved the situation. “I am doing very well now. My blood count has moved up from nine to 12.5 gramme per decilitre in just a week” Elvina said.
The situation of Elvina is not a one off case as many expectant mothers go through such conditions unknowingly, partly because of poor eating habit.
Although the world through the Sustainable Development Goals is striving to reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100 000 live births, country such as Ghana as at the 2016, had a prevalence rate of 54.3 per cent, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators.
Anaemia in Pregnancy
Anaemia is a condition that develops when your blood lacks enough healthy red blood cells or haemoglobin. Haemoglobin is a main part of red blood cells and binds oxygen. If you have too few or abnormal red blood cells, or your haemoglobin is abnormal or low, the cells in your body will not get enough oxygen.
Women in the childbearing years are particularly susceptible to iron-deficiency anaemia because of the blood loss from menstruation and the increased blood supply demands during pregnancy.
Madam Asante explains that, “When a pregnant woman is anaemic, it means she does not have enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen to her tissues and to the unborn baby”.
“During pregnancy, the body produces more blood to support the growth of the baby. If you're not getting enough iron or certain other nutrients, your body might not be able to produce the amount of red blood cells it needs to make this additional blood.
“It's normal to have mild anaemia when you are pregnant. But you may also have more severe anaemia from low iron or vitamin levels. If it is severe and goes untreated, it can increase your risk of serious complications like pre-term delivery, post-partum haemorrhage, giving birth to low birth weight”.
Turkey Berry
Turkey berry, commonly known, as ‘Kwahunsosoa’ among the Akans, is a vegetable that grows in the wild in Ghana and has been used in food preparation over the centuries. It helps in iron absorption. Apart from the Northern Ghana Turkey berries can be found in the rest of the country. Traditionally, it is added to palm fruits to prepare soup.
At local communities, Turkey Berries use not to be sold because it was available in everyone’s home and backyard, however, in the big towns, it is sold on tables during market days. Now, knowing the health benefits of the turkey berry, they are now found on the shelves in stores and shopping malls.
The vegetable is not found, consumed and used for medical purposes only in Ghana but regions like Thailand, India, and South America also has it. A study by Mabel Ogah on Turkey Berry, says the vegetable is high in protein, carbohydrate, fibre, potassium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and calcium.
Turkey Berry Therapy
In the late October 2018, the Nutrition Department of GARH through a rigorous research and testing came up with the Turkey Berry Therapy to as stop gap measure to boost the blood levels of a critical group expectant mothers and children.
Madam Asante who is leading the innovation explains that through a special and carful process including cleaning, parboiling and mixed with fruit, Turkey Berry’s nutrients will be attained. Depending on the patient’s blood level, it is taken either 500- milligramme three times a day or twice a day.
“Per my experience, whenever, we put mothers on the therapy, their blood levels increase. Since the inception of the therapy, more than a 1000 expectant mothers who reported to the medical facility with severe anaemia and were in critical condition, has had a lifeline”, she affirmed.
She advises expectant mothers to avoid taking food inhibitor including all forms of tea, clays, and caffeine but rather, religiously eat heme-iron foods and fruits to boost their iron levels.
“Working at your blood level is like a devoted Christian working on your salvation. You work at it till the second coming of Jesus and in doing that, look no further, because our ‘Kwahunsosoa’, a lifeline, is at your side”
GNA
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