Role of extra calories on the birth weight of neonates - the nutritional value of dates in pregnancy

ABSTRACT

Date fruits [khajoor] are exclusive source of high nutrition to every individual and have been cultivated in Arab world for centuries. In addition to the dietary benefits of date fruits, they also possess important pharmacological properties. A community based study was carried out to assess the effect of date fruits intake on the selected group of pregnant and lactating women who belong specifically to the rural population of Karachi. The aim was to evaluate the weight gain of pregnant and lactating women as well as their infants after taking dates for a set period of time. The results indicated a significant weight gain of newborns and increase levels of hemoglobin in mothers. Hence, the study concluded the importance of dates as a good nutritional supplement particularly in the under developed areas