Effect of Pumpkin Seed Capsules on Nutritional Status and Hemoglobin Levels of Pregnant Women with Chronic Energy Deficiency.

Nurrahmi, Arine Tri; Syam, Aminuddin; Salam, Abdul; Jafar, Nurhaedar; Indriasari, Rahayu; Hasan, Nurzakiah

The nutritional state of pregnant women will affect the growth and development of the fetus from birth to adulthood. One of the nutritional problems of pregnant women is Chronic Energy Deficiency (CED). CED is one of the malnutrition problems that often occur in pregnant, caused by a lack of food intake and energy over a long period of time. One of the effects of pregnant suffering from CED is to increase the risk of maternal and short baby mortality. Pumpkin seeds are rich in macro and micronutrients. The content of micronutrients in pumpkin seeds can improve the nutritional status of pregnant women. This study aimed to assess the effect of pumpkin seed capsule administration on Middle Upper Arm Circumference and hemoglobin levels in pregnant women. This research used quasi-experimental with a non-randomized design pretest-post-test with a control group. Pregnant women who met the inclusion criteria were divided into two groups. The first group received pumpkin seed capsules (2 capsules x 700 mg) and the second group received iron folic supplements (60 mg Fe and 0.25 mg folic) for 60 days. The total sample was 63 individuals divided into 30 intervention groups and 31 in the control group. Data collected include general data, nutritional status based on Middle Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC), and hemoglobin levels of pregnant women with CED. There was a significant increase in the average MUAC and hemoglobin levels of pregnant women in both groups after the correspondent treatment (p = 0.0001). Our data show that pumpkin seed capsule administration increases MUAC and hemoglobin levels of pregnant women with CED.

PUMPKIN seeds; NUTRITION; PREGNANT women; ARM circumference; ENERGY dissipation; HEMOGLOBINS; NUTRITIONAL status; FOOD consumption

Gaceta Médica de Caracas, 2023, Vol 131, Issue 3, p650

0367-4762

Academic Journal

10.47307/GMC.2023.131.3.16