Supporting baby’s physical growth through improving the quality of food for pregnant

Objective: The quality of food consumed by pregnant women greatly affects the growth and development of the fetus in the womb until giving birth and breastfeeding the baby. A healthy and balanced diet, especially one rich in protein, is very much needed by pregnant women to help form the body tissues of the fetus and baby such as the heart, liver, brain, bones, muscles, skin, and others. This study aims to increase breast milk production and physical growth of infants through local foods rich in protein, namely Cerbung fish and Moringa leaves, as additional food in the form of noodles. Methodology: This research is experimental research, through pre and post-tests. Subjects of this research are 18 mothers pregnant for treatment groups and 20 mothers pregnant for control groups—the range aged 21 - 30 years. Data collection was done by giving food addition results that were best for the mother in the third trimester of pregnancy and continued after the mother gave birth and breastfed. Before providing additional food, the researcher developed a food addition product made from fish flour and flour leaf Moringa in the form of instant noodles, organoleptic test, and analysis of nutritional content. The research data were then analyzed using SPSS software through independent sample tests. Results: The research showed that combination of Moringa leaves and Cerbung fish in instant noodles could potentially enhance breast milk production and support the physical growth of babies. Discussion: Moringa leaves have been shown to significantly increase milk production and improve various growth parameters in babies. While specific data on Cerbung fish is not provided, its general nutritional benefits could complement the effects of Moringa leaves. Conclusions: Further research specifically on the combination of these two ingredients would be beneficial to confirm these effects.