Expectant women have been asked to practise healthy lifestyles and go for frequent medical check-ups during pregnancy.
Kisumu’s Port Florence hospital medical officer, Polycarp Koyanda, on Friday urged the expectant women to avoid lifestyles that put the life of both the mother and the unborn child at risk.
“The expectant women should avoid alcohol and smoking as this may cause complications during birth. Alcohol may risk the life of the unborn child or even lead to miscarriages,’’ said Koyanda.
Koyanda further explained that, cases of still births and miscarriages are on the rise and that there is an urgent need to address such cases by taking precautions.
“Doing exercises is also important to expectant women as it reduces cases of still births and makes them be fit for delivery.
“This also helps those with lifestyles diseases such as asthma, high blood pressure and diabetes to deliver normally without necessarily going through the caesarean section.”
The medic told our reporter that, every month he handles cases of complicated births which he attributed to unhealthy lifestyles and lack of enough exercise by the expectant mothers.
“It is high time we reduced such cases and saved our women by sensitizing them the importance of practicing healthy lifestyles during pregnancy period,” said the medic.