Expectant women in Kiambu County have been advised to eat fish among other nutritious foods as it is helps in the cognitive development of the unborn baby’s brain.
Speaking to journalists today, senior nutritionist at the Kiambu District Hospital, Grace Kihagi, said that many people in the area do not consume fish as they associated it with people from other regions.
She said that expectant women, lactating mothers and young children should take fish at least thrice a week because it offers a wide variety of nutritional and health benefits like protection against lifestyle diseases.
Kihagi noted that fish was advantageous for women who do not wish to gain a lot of unhealthy weight during pregnancy as the delicacy was low in fat and had a high protein content which ensures the body building process of the foetus was on track.
The officer said that young children should adopt the habit of eating fish because the fatty acids found in the meal helped reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases while growing up.
She said that there were different kinds of fish and it was important for the area residents to know that shark and tuna were species that were high in mercury and too much of it could have dangerous neurological consequences to the unborn child and young children.
Kihagi advised expectant mothers to instead consume fish like tilapia and catfish which were low in mercury and very delicious.
The nutritionist noted that those who do not like the taste of fish and were not accustomed to eating the delicacy could try fish alternatives like fish capsules and omega-3 oil.
Kihagi however said that those alternatives were not as good as taking the fish itself and advised expectant mothers to seek medical advice before taking the capsules.