A quarter of women of reproductive age in India are undernourished, with a body mass index (BMI) of less than 18.5 kg/m . It is well known that an undernourished mother inevitably gives birth to an undernourished baby, perpetuating an intergenerational cycle of undernutrition.
Undernourished girls have a greater likelihood of becoming undernourished mothers who in turn have a greater chance of giving birth to low birth weight babies , perpetuating an intergenerational cycle.
This cycle can be compounded further in young mothers, especially adolescent girls who begin childbearing before they have grown and developed enough. When mothers take only short intervals between pregnancies and have many children, this can exacerbate nutrition deficits, which are then passed on to their children.
Foetal stunting is largely caused by the mother’s inadequate nutrition before conception and in the first trimester.
The major reason for stagnant levels of undernutrition among Indian children is because of a failure so far to adequately prevent undernutrition when it happens most - in the womb, which is caused by poor nutrition of women before and during pregnancy.
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
The interplay of hormones throughout a woman’s menstrual cycle affects her body and state of mind. Energy intakes are generally higher in the premenstrual phase and some women also have food cravings as their period approaches.
Eating high-protein foods every few hours can often temper or stop food cravings. This should not be done at the expense of other food groups, especially carbohydrates, which should form the basis of the diet. Fluid retention is common in the days leading up to a woman’s period because certain hormones encourage the body to hold salt (sodium). The more sodium the body holds, the more fluid is retained in the tissues.
Other common symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) include moodiness, tiredness and constipation.
What is Polycystic Ovarian Disease?
Polycystic Ovarian Disease (PCOD), also known as Polycystic Ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a very common condition affecting 5% to 10% of women in the age group 12–45 years. It is a problem in which a woman’s hormones are out of balance. It can cause problems with menstrual periods and make it difficult for her to conceive. The principal features include no ovulation, irregular periods, acne and hirsuitism. If not treated it can cause insulin resistant diabetes, obesity and high cholesterol leading to heart disease.
What causes Polycystic Ovarian Disease (PCOD)?
Normally, the ovaries make female sex menhormones and a tiny amount of male sex hormones (androgens). These help regulate the normal development of eggs in the ovaries during each menstrual cycle.
Polycystic ovary syndrome is related to an imbalance in these sex hormones. In PCOS, they start making slightly more androgens. This causes patients to stop ovulating, get pimples and grow extra facial and body hair.
Follicles are sacs within the ovaries that contain eggs. Normally, one or more eggs are released during each menstrual cycle. This is called ovulation.
In polycystic ovary syndrome, the eggs in these follicles do not mature and are not released from the ovaries. Instead, they can form very small cysts in the ovary, hence the name polycystic ovaries.
PCOS seems to run in families, so the chance of having it is higher if other women in the family have PCOS, irregular periods, or diabetes
Common symptoms of PCOD/PCOS include:
Acne
Weight gain and trouble losing weight
Extra hair on the face and body. Often women get thicker, darker facial hair and more hair on the chest, belly, and back.
Thinning hair on the scalp
Irregular periods. Often women with PCOS have fewer than nine periods a year. Some women have no periods others have very heavy bleeding
Fertility problems. Many women who have PCOS have trouble getting pregnant (infertility)
Depression
Investigations like blood sugar estimation, thyroid hormone tests, ultrasound of the abdomen and pelvis are done.
Osteoporosis
Women are more at risk of developing osteoporosis than men because the hormone changes that happen at the menopause directly affect bone density.
The female hormone oestrogen is essential for healthy bones. After the menopause, oestrogen levels fall. This can lead to a rapid decrease in bone density.
Women are at even greater risk of developing osteoporosis if they have:
an early menopause (before the age of 45)
a hysterectomy (removal of the womb) before the age of 45, particularly when the ovaries are also removed
absent periods for more than 6 months as a result of overexercising or too much dieting
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