The Pangasinan Provincial Health Office urges all mothers to be healthy and wise by giving their children brain power through the use of iodized salt.
This advisory which includes pregnant women and lactating mothers was made as part of the health department’s information campaign in line with the celebration of the Goiter Awareness Week (GAW) on January 23 to 29.
Provincial Health Officer Anna De Guzman said the weeklong celebration includes an intensified information campaign for the promotion of the salt iodization program and the “Patak sa Asin sa Market & Warehouses” program where the rural health units in the province conduct household and market salt testing.
The activity also coincides with the celebration’s theme “ Iwas Goiter ni Mommy, Lusog Isip ni Baby,” De Guzman said.
The health department’s campaign aims to inform mothers that iodine deficiency disorders pose a serious problem especially to pregnant women.
De Guzman said pregnant women who become afflicted with goiter due to lack of iodine may have miscarriages or give birth to abnormal babies. They may even become retarded, have low IQ, deaf and mute, short, and worst, may even result to the death of the child.
To avoid such problems to happen, the provincial health officer advises mothers to use iodized salt everyday as salt prevents iron deficiency.
De Guzman also urged the mothers to serve their families with iodine-rich foods like salt water fish, seaweed and other seafoods.
Meanwhile, de Guzman bared that all district hospitals and rural health units in the province will start the 1st Quarter Patak sa Asin sa Market & Warehouses on January 24 which will last up to January 28 for the promotion of salt iodization.
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