Kumasi South Hospital organises first Daddy's forum

Kumasi, March 19, GNA- The Kumasi South Hospital, which also doubles as the Ashanti Regional Hospital on Friday, organised the first Daddy's Forum, which brought together about 80 pregnant women and their husbands.

The forum discussed issues relating to pregnancy, child bearing, family planning and the nutrition of the family for the proper growth and development of children.

Speaking at the forum, Mrs Rosemond Owusu-Ansah, a Nursing Officer at the Hospital, said anaemia was the major cause of complications and deaths during pregnancy and delivery.

She explained that when a pregnant woman becomes anaemic, it affects the unborn child and the general body metabolism of the woman and therefore brings about the improper development of the foetus. Mrs Owusu-Ansah, therefore, urged pregnant women to adopt good eating habits by taking more protein foods, vegetables and fruits to help sustain the pregnancy.

Dr Kenneth Addai, an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at the Kumasi South Hospital, debunked the notion that family planning was the major cause of death during child bearing.

He said on the contrary, family planning made the mother and child stronger and healthier and therefore called for proper collaboration between husbands and their wives towards the proper planning and development of their children.

Mrs Elizabeth Sarfo Adu, a Senior Nursing Officer at the hospital urged men to team up with their wives to choose the proper family planning method after she had taken them through the various family planning methods.

She called for faithfulness among couples to avoid contracting sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) including HIV/AIDS which she said was becoming serious considering the rate of infection and deaths.