Dietary practices followed during pregnancy by the tribes of Idukki District, Kerala: A qualitative study
Paper Details
Dietary practices followed during pregnancy by the tribes of Idukki District, Kerala: A qualitative study
Abstract
Pregnancy is a very crucial period and the food consumed by the expecting mother is believed to alter the life of the unborn child. Nutritional requirements increase during pregnancy and lactation to support both foetal/infant growth and maternal metabolism/tissue development. The study to document the beliefs and practices followed during pre-natal and post-natal period was conducted from January – November, 2019 among the Muthuvan women of Adimaly Panchayat, Idukki district, Kerala. Data was collected using informal discussions and semi-structured face-to-face interviews. Some of the practices followed by the women included consuming millets like ragi (Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn.), chama (Panicum sumatrense Roth ex Roem. & Schult.), green leafy vegetables, meat and wild seasonal fruits like jackfruit, mango and jamun. They believed in consumption of nutritious and natural foods on a daily basis which kept them healthy even during the pregnancy period.
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Nirmal Nithula, Lingassamy Arul Pragasan, 2021. Dietary practices followed during pregnancy by the tribes of Idukki District, Kerala: A qualitative study. Int. J. Biosci., 18(2), 252-260.
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